Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 7/1/2018 11:54 AM, wrote:
On Sun, 1 Jul 2018 06:47:08 -0000 (UTC), Bill
wrote:
wrote:
On Sun, 1 Jul 2018 02:15:43 -0000 (UTC), Bill
wrote:
Keyser Soze wrote:
Fretwell's point on industrial gases is...absurd.
What is absurd on the industrial gases? Columbine and at least one other
mass attack had rigged propane bombs, which luckily failed to explode.
Those were just kids who flunked chemistry or never watched Myth
busters. The gas inside the tank is not particularly dangerous.
They tried to use a small explosive to rupture the tank I think. Did not
rupture. And a fast leaking tank is a bomb. Couple years ago, in Dublin,
Ca near me, a minister was blown through the glass patio doors when the
tank developed a giant leak.
A slow leak is a much worse explosion. It is all about involving as
much volume of fuel air mix as possible. If you insert the gas into
the HVAC system it is a lot more effective than just breaching the
tank in one room. That is simple middle school science. Maybe I am
more aware of this because I heard a house go up when I was a kid and
there was nothing left but the 1st floor deck when we got there.
Pieces of the house were spread out over a whole block. Everyone in
the house died. The FD determined one stove burner was on simmer.
I live in a *very* rural area right now. Last year around July 4th
someone shot a 20 lb propane tank with a gun in a field about a half
mile or so from my house. The explosion was deafening and we and all
our neighbors felt our houses shake.
A lot of years ago a guy in Oakland decided to commit suicide. Turned on
the gas with no pilot lights. He slept through the night and forgot about
the suicide attempt. Got up in the morning and decided to light the
stove. House blew up just like you described. My buddy worked
across,the street in a car repair shop. Their windows blew out. He and
his coworkers escaped injury and the guy across the street escaped most
injury. Jim said the guy was standing in the middle of the explosion with
the match still in his hand.