Posted on 12/08/2014 12:53:08 PM PST by goldstategop
A huge fire has destroyed an apartment building under construction in central Los Angeles, shutting two major cross-city freeways.
More than 250 firefighters tackled the overnight blaze in the downtown area, which was brought under control early on Monday.
There were no reports of injuries, and it is not thought anyone was in the seven-storey building at the time. A huge blaze in downtown Los Angeles There were no reports of any injuries or deaths
The fire could be seen from miles away, but no cause has been identified.
"It's a large building, about a block long. The whole building is a total loss. The fire did spread into two neighbouring buildings," said fire department spokesman David Ortiz.
Sections on the 110 and 101 freeways remained closed on Monday morning.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
Good idea. I’ve been meaning to do the same.
There is a fire event called a BLEVE (boiling liquid, expanding gas explosion) and the first time it was used to describe a fire event was for a 1959 fire on Southwest Boulevard in Kansas City, Mo just a few blocks off state line. It was a monster fire and when the gas cloud exploded it killed the most fire fighters in KC history.
It was few blocks from my Dad’s office and I remember it vividly as I was watching it on live TV when it blew up. A decade later I built a new building right on the site and it still had boiled down asphalt underground.
Wow, very interesting. I may have to look that up.
You mean things like varnish, shellac and the like? That does sound rather stupid of them. It’s easy to get a dulled sense of smell to the volatiles. I guess the poor smoker got blasted, huh.
That comment seems a lot more applicable to your state or other east coast and southern cities than it does to LA.
Digging down for the new foundation, you found the melted asphalt huh.
I came across with a post hole digger when I was setting the batter boards to start the layout. I think it had been a stone lot with clean stone layer under asphalt pavement. Some of the lot was resurfaced for a drive and when that drive was taken out, whatever was left from the fire still was there about a foot underground. Kind of like gloobs of asphalt/rock.
It would have melted pretty bad.
What gave rise to the BLEVE at the site. Was it a tank of oil or chemicals?
I’m just saying - I came here on FR first thing this morning with my coffee to see what happened overnight. The first article regarding the fire was posted using the BBC as a source. Why I asked wasn’t it posted with a link to the LAT - that’s it. What’s the big deal? I just asked a question and I get all sorts of links and stuff to the story by the LAT - it could have been used first. Geeze .....
Yes a lot of the finishes and oils will spontaneously combust given some volume and insulation.
Those painters work “high” all day and tend to have a short life. Not much different from huffing paint all day.
I remember one guy died but don’t remember the outcome for the rest.
HIPPA prevents us from finding out what happens to many of our patients unless we ask the medical director to inquire with the hospital and get back to us.
There was a fire next to a 25,000 gallon fuel tank which vented and added to the fire. The fire department got on site and started attacking the fire and also tried to get water on the tank. All of a sudden the tank vented a big exp0anding gas ball and a fuel/air explosion occurred sending flames in front of it for a city block in the blink of an eye.
A bigger version may have been part of the Pepcon rocket fuel plant explosion in Nevada — see this:
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=famous+nevada+explosion&qpvt=famous+nevada+explosion&FORM=VDRE#view=detail&mid=CE5A3B24A652A3505827CE5A3B24A652A3505827
A film crew happened to be filming on a mountain top nearby and captured the double whammy.
Doesn’t sound like fun. Pro’s would know to have enough ventilation, but it’s tempting to take short cuts.
here is a BLEVE film of a tank about a third of the size of the fuel tank in KC
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=famous+nevada+explosion&qpvt=famous+nevada+explosion&FORM=VDRE#view=detail&mid=8D0CE75527C6CD85F9E98D0CE75527C6CD85F9E9
It had perchlorate in it too.
It seems you “live” in California. This is the first time I’ve seen someone living there trying to spread their whacky policies without at least moving to that community so as to destroy it. Where I live, the last thing want is California-inspired ideas.
If you want the LA Times story posted, then you post it. Why complain about what some else posted as their source?
I have not a clue what you’re talking about.
lol...
Oh sure...Where are they going to house the thousands of foreigners they’re pumping into LAX on a daily basis Bunny?
Plenty of room on LA fwys....Housing shortage...lol..
How is it we have a housing shortage when everyone left CA to Texas? These are all newcomers from Pakistan or Ustinkistan right? All illegals from Mehico?
Sorry you missed the whole concept. Have a nice evening.
I've seen fire used in LA for redevelopment to avoid disposal costs of hazardous materials. Obviously that's my conclusion, but given the circumstances, timing, the way the fire was "fought," and the future use of the real estate, one would have to be brain dead to conclude otherwise.
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