Explosions on the rise

[Kojima]

----------------------------------------------

An oil field exploded in Basra Iraq [Iraq Oil Report ; Published September 20, 2011]; Comment by Starr DiGiacomo

----------------------------------------------

List of comment about gas explosion, in order of posted time; as of 2011-09-01

 

1) SOMERVILLE, Ohio, US; "Investigation continues in house collapse"

2) BAKERSFIELD, Calif. US; "Bakersfield resident hurt in natural gas explosion"

3) Pompton Lakes, NJ, US; "Update: Suspected gas explosion levels home in Pompton Lakes [raw video]"

4) Brantford, Ontario, Canada; "Natural gas explosion levelled Brantford house: fire marshal"

5) Warren, MI, US; "City of Warren Home Explosion Underscores Need for Natural Gas Safety"

6) Castleford, West Yorkshire, UK; "Dramatic footage shows huge gas explosion at Yorkshire home"

7) Warren Park, Harare, Zimbabwe; "2 seriously injured in Warren Park gas explosion"

8) Logan City, south of Brisbane in Queensland, Australia; "Seven children killed in gas explosion at house"

9) Herscher, IL, US; Douglasville, GA, US; "This Week In Natural Gas Leaks and Explosions – Aug. 22, 2011"

10) "Seven children killed in gas explosion at house" [See 8)]

11) Lakeview, MI, US; "Explosion inside Lakeview house causes fire, couple escapes with minor injuries"

12) Newborough, Victoria, Australia; "Gas blast destroys Newborough garage"

13) Cato, Montcalm, MI, US; "Couple escapes house explosion"

14) Glenrock, Converse, WY, US; "Oilfield explosion claims three"

15) St. Augustine, Fla, US; "Gas Station Explosion Site in St. Augustine now 'Stable'"

 

----------------------------------------------

* Comment by Starr DiGiacomo

We'll be seeing an uptick in unusual home and business gas explosions and I'm trying to locate specific ZT on the matter.  Below is a refresher for the many gas related news articles.

http://zetatalk5.com/index/blog0214.htm

SOZT

Fault lines, when adjusting, do not just rip apart one day during a dramatic earthquake. They most often creep. Laying gas lines along or across a fault line is asking for an accident of this sort. Fault lines are also seldom so clearly delineated that one can go a mile in this or that direction and avoid their action. Where a slip-slide fault such as the San Andreas will often leave a clear line on the surface, this is only the surface action, not what occurs in the rock layers on either side which can fracture for a long way to either side during any movement. The gas company, or the age of the pipes, will be faulted but in truth the finger should be pointed in many directions. The public, who insist on living at such a scenic spot, is to blame. Officials, who zoned for housing are to blame. The public utility company, for allowing gas lines in the area, is to blame. But this will change nothing, while man continues to live on the San Andreas, even as it awakens. EOZT

http://www.zetatalk5.com/ning/18sp2010.htm

SOZT

The danger from radon gas will not be increased as a result of the pole shift. Radon gas is emitted by rock containing uranium, which is degrading. In normal circumstances, where air can circulate, it is disbursed rapidly as is any methane created by decay of organic material. The danger from these gasses comes from confinement - being trapped in a mine, a basement, or beneath the permafrost. The dangers are well known. For methane, it is explosions. An accumulation of methane gas can be identified by the smell of rotten eggs, or as some have described it, dirty socks or cabbage soup. For radon gas the danger is lung cancer, from the continual exposure to the radioactive air. Radon gas is odorless, and cannot be detected except by specialized equipment not in the hands of the average person.

In that the pole shift, or the Earth changes preceding the pole shift, can fracture rock and release pockets of either gas, survivors should be cautious about huddling in bunkers. You are safer out in the open air, or in a trench you have dug that will allow the pole shift winds to pass over you, but nothing to fall on and crush you. The fact that both methane gas and radon gas can accumulate in the bunkers of the elite is one of the reasons we have stated that they have dug their own graves. EOZT

http://www.zetatalk5.com/ning/12mr2011.htm

 

* Comment by Starr DiGiacomo

SOZT

Anyone watching the news, for instance the news on the San Bruno explosion in a distribution line close to the San Andreas Fault line, knows that gas in any form is a danger. Oil and gas refineries explode when rigid piping cracks. Oil or gas wells explode when the ground around them moves. And the gas distribution lines running under cities are no exception. They likewise will explode. Gas lines, whether along the street or within a home, are rigid. In some cases automatic shutoff valves can limit the amount of gas available for an explosion by sensing a drop in pressure, but this is always after the fact. The explosion has already occurred. Utilizing gas on a planet prone to earthquakes was a mistake to begin with, but man never thinks of the consequences when striving for modern conveniences. We have advised turning off the gas at the street, though when the street explodes and your neighbor's homes are on fire you are not likely to escape the holocaust. A better alternative is to live in an area where gas is not available, as in your rural safe location where you will be doing a form of camping while gardening. A campfire at night, for cooking and washing and a bit of friendly light before bed. Nothing explosive. EOZT

http://www.zetatalk5.com/ning/02oc2010.htm

 

* Comment by Starr DiGiacomo

SOZT Answer: It is no accident that the New Madrid fault lies under the Mississippi River near Memphis, as rivers form in lowlands created when land pulls apart, separating the rock fingers and weakening support for the land. Thus, the Ohio River bed also is an indication of where rock fingers will pull apart. Two adjustments in Kentucky, a day apart, are not an accident, but an indication of the speed at which the stretch zone is starting to adjust. Rail lines are frequently an early harbinger of such adjustments, as they run long distances, whereas structures within cities, such as tall buildings, take up relatively little space and have a small footprint. Our warning that imploding cities will be experienced, before the hour of the shift, are in this regard. Be warmed, it will not just be your rail lines and gas and water mains that will shatter and be pulled apart during the stretch. The foundations of your tall buildings will likewise be vulnerable.EOZT

http://www.zetatalk5.com/newsletr/issue008.htm

----------------------------------------------

[Original post on January 20, 2011]

Original title: Gas explosion kills 1, injures 5 in Philadelphia

 

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/01/19/pennsylvania.gas.explosion/index.h...

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• The explosion occurred in Philadelphia's Tacony neighborhood
• The blast killed one utilities worker and injured five other people
• Some of the injuries are serious

(CNN) -- A gas main explosion in Philadelphia Tuesday evening killed one utilities worker and injured five other people, a fire department official said.

Philadelphia Gas Works employees were responding to a gas main break in the city's Tacony neighborhood when the explosion occurred, fire department spokesman Jim Smith said.

"They were trying to control it and found a source of ignition," according to Smith, who said four PGW employees and a firefighter were among the injured. He said some of the gas workers' injuries were serious.

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/natural-gas-explosion-philadelphia-...

http://abcnews.go.com/US/video/caught-on-tape-gas-main-explodes-126...

[Starr DiGiacomo]

Interesting article

http://in2eastafrica.net/rwanda-lake-poses-gas-danger-energy-promise/

Rwanda Lake Poses Gas Danger, Energy Promise

On the job into the evening, workers re-enforce rails guiding the methane extraction barge into Lake Kivu. (Photo: Anna Boiko-Weyrauch)

In the early evening on Lake Kivu, along Rwanda’s western border, clusters of lights bob on the surface of the water. They’re lanterns hanging off wooden boats to attract small herring.

Lake Kivu’s fish are a crucial source of food and income for local residents. But there’s something else below the surface beside fish, something fraught with both peril and, locals hope, promise. Deep at the bottom of the lake, almost a thousand feet down, Kivu’s water is rich with naturally-occurring gas – including high levels of carbon dioxide and methane.

The gas is produced by unusual geological and biological processes. It’s a natural oddity, and it could be very dangerous, says Charles Nyirahuku, who manages energy projects for the Rwandan government.

“It builds up in the water,” Nyirahuku says, “and it can cause a sudden outburst or release of methane into the atmosphere.”

Geologic evidence shows that long ago, Lake Kivu had sudden releases of gas, or limnic eruptions, as they’re called. And similar recent events elsewhere show how bad an explosion like that could be today. In the 1980’s, CO2 bursts from two lakes in Cameroon killed nearly 2,000 people. Scientists believe Lake Kivu could be even more deadly, because they estimate it has about 1,000 times more gas than the Cameroonian lakes.

“We are told that this is one of the major environmental risks which we can face,” Nyirahuku says. And the only way to avert this kind of risk is to extract the methane.”

And that’s what his role in energy projects comes in. Nyirahuku is helping develop a project to capture the lake’s dissolved methane and use it to generate energy.

The beginnings of the project are rising on the edge of the lake, where workers chant in unison as they move metal beams next to a big blue barge, and welders fix rails that will guide the barge into the lake.

The barge will eventually float to a spot about eight miles away and become part of what’s known as the KivuWatt project. Equipment on the barge will suck the gas-rich water from the deepest part of the lake through what are called risers—“basically big straws” — stuck more than a thousand feet into the lake, says Bill Barr, a vice president at the New York-based company ContourGlobal, which is developing the unusual power plant.

Barr says the gasses will be separated from the water, and then from each other. The less-volatile CO2 will be pumped back below the surface, and the methane will be piped to shore, where it will be used to fuel a power plant.

If all goes according to plan, the process will help solve two big problems: the threat of an explosion, and Rwanda’s chronic energy shortage. Rwanda has very few energy resources of its own, which has helped make it one of the most expensive places in East Africa to power a home or business. Almost half of the electricity here is generated using diesel fuel, which has to be trucked into the landlocked country.

Backers hope the KivuWatt project will eventually double the amount of electricity

[Starr DiGiacomo]

Crew jump for their lives as blast rips through boat

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=1...

Expand

The blaze seems to have started when a problem with the boat's ignition caused petrol to catch fire. Photo / Katie Anderson

Katie Anderson was asleep at her mother's Whitianga home when she was awakened by a loud bang.

The freelance photographer looked out her window and saw smoke billowing out of a 10m boat and a group of men jumping for their lives at the bottom of a boat ramp.

"Basically we woke up to an explosion," she said.

"At first we thought the boat had come off the trailer but I looked again and saw the smoke.

"After I ran downstairs I looked out again and saw flames everywhere."

She said the men who were in the boat disconnected it from its trailer and drove their ute to the top of the boat ramp, where they all watched as their fishing trip went up in flames.

"They didn't say much ... they all looked pretty gutted.

"By the time the fire brigade got out here she was well in flames."

Miss Anderson, 22, said firefighters told her the boat had been recently refurbished and was being relaunched when the accident happened.

She said she heard the engine turning over a couple of times.

"They went to fire it and it didn't fire and they disengaged it andwhen they went again it just went boomfa.

"The flames were pretty big."

The boat's owner did not want to speak to the Herald.

Inspector Cornell Kluessien of the northern police communications centre said that the fire was not suspicious.

It appeared to have started because of a problem with the boat's ignition, which sparked off fuel in the vessel.

He said no one was injured but the fire gutted the boat, which was burned right to the waterline.

The Whitianga Harbourmaster said he had filed an incident report that said the cause of the explosion would be "pretty hard" to find because the boat had been gutted.

[Starr DiGiacomo]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=1...

Man burnt as abandoned car explodes

Expand

Emergency services attended a car explosion in Whirinaki. Photo / Bay of Plenty Times

A Far North man has been badly burnt after an explosion in an abandoned car.

Emergency services were called to Whirinaki, South Hokianga, at 3pm on Tuesday when an abandoned car exploded near State Highway 12.

Police say a 26-year-old Whirinaki man was thrown from the vehicle by the force of the explosion, which left him with serious burns to his upper body.

He had also suffered internal burns from inhaling burning gases.

He was taken first to Rawene Hospital, then transferred by air to the burns unit at Middlemore Hospital in South Auckland.

Sergeant Pat Davis of Kaikohe said police were still trying to ascertain why the man was sitting in an abandoned car and what had caused it to explode.

It was possible that gas from an LPG cylinder found in the vehicle had ignited.

It did not appear that a clandestine drugs lab was involved.

Rawene fire brigade was called out to assist police and St John Ambulance.

[Starr DiGiacomo]

http://online.wsj.com/article/APac0a85a155d34666a8779135d7a6fbe0.html

NY gas blast levels house, sets 2 others on fire

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. — Authorities say a natural gas explosion has leveled one house and set two others on fire in Schenectady. There are no reports of injuries.

The Daily Gazette of Schenectady reports (http://bit.ly/xHevgN ) that occupants of the house were evacuated before the blast at about 3:45 p.m. Wednesday.

The newspaper says flames shot three stories high and the explosion rattled the north end of the city near the Mohawk River.

Firefighters continued to battle the flames in late afternoon and utility crews were called to shut off the gas supply.

Information about the cause of the gas leak and explosion isn't available yet.

[Starr DiGiacomo]

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Father-and-Son-Recovering-After-Ho...

Father and Son Recovering After House Explosion

Both men have burns on 30 percent of their bodies.

|  Tuesday, Jan 3, 2012  |  Updated 5:17 PM CST

|

Amanda Guerra, NBC 5 News

Darryn and Shelby Huffman are recovering after they were badly burned when part of their house exploded.

advertisement

A father and son are recovering in the hospital after both men were badly burned when part of their Richardson home exploded.

Firefighters said Darryn Huffman, 51, makes jewelry for a living and didn’t realize a propane tank he keeps inside his home for work was leaking.

His son Shelby Huffman, 20, was also home at the time.

The men smelled the gas leaking and went into the front room to find the source of the gas when the furnace in the front room exploded, blowing out multiple windows and catching both men on fire.

Family members said both father and son have burns on approximately 30 percent of their bodies.

“His arms and his hands are the worst,” said mom Robyn Huffman, talking about Shelby. “His hair was really fried because of the fire as well.”

Family friend, Kim Larson, said Darryn Huffman has similar burns.

“[He’s] very swollen because they have to administer a lot of fluids and stuff like that. He’s burned on his hands and his chest. His face is burned also,” Larson said.

Both men will need multiple surgeries and skin grafts.

“It’s pretty overwhelming sometimes. And some days, after their procedures in the morning, it’s kind of hard to see them when they come back,” Larson said. “But we’re here for them. We love them no matter what they look like and they know that.”

Larson also said through the pain, there is humor -- something the Huffman family will come to rely on in the following months.

“His spirit is still there,” said Larson talking about Darryn Huffman. “His sense of humor is still there. And when they came to check him last night and asked him who he was he said 'Elvis Presley' and laughed, so you know it’s still there. Darryn’s still there.”

Family members are in the process of setting up a fund for the two men at Chase Bank.

[Starr DiGiacomo]

Obama signs pipeline safety bill

January 3, 2012

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/2012/01/obama-signs-pipel...

President Obama signed into law Tuesday a pipeline safety bill that gained momentum after a string of high-profile incidents, including a deadly Northern California explosion in 2010.

The bill, which passed Congress with rare bipartisan support, doubles the maximum fine for safety violations to $2 million, authorizes more pipeline inspectors and requires automatic shut-off valves on new or replaced pipelines "where economically, technically and operationally feasible.''

It does not include a National Transportation Safety Board recommendation to require such shut-off valves on existing pipelines in heavily populated areas. It took utility workers nearly 95 minutes to manually shut off gas spewing from a pipeline in San Bruno, Calif.

The September 2010 explosion killed eight people, injured dozens and destroyed 38 homes. Other pipeline malfunctions have occurred in Michigan, Montana and Pennsylvania.

The call for automatic shutoff values on existing pipelines has faced industry opposition because of cost. Rep. Jackie Speier, a Democrat who represents San Bruno, has vowed to continue to push for legislation that would require such shut-off valves on existing pipelines in populated areas.

The bill also requires pipeline operators to confirm, through records or testing, the maximum safe operating pressure of older, previously untested pipelines in populated areas.

“This is landmark legislation that provides the regulatory certainty necessary for the pipeline industry to make critical investments and create American jobs,” Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.), who chairs a House subcommittee that oversees pipelines, said in a statement Tuesday.

"Safety is always of the highest priority and this law strengthens current law, fills gaps in existing law where necessary, and focuses on directly responding to recent pipeline incidents with balanced and reasonable policies..."

The Obama administration is considering stronger measures. California has taken steps to strengthen pipeline safety rules, including requiring automatic shut-off valves in vulnerable areas.

[Starr DiGiacomo]

gas line explosion lights up Estill sky

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2012/01/02/2013735/apparent-gas-line-explos...

Apparent gas line explosion lights up Estill sky

Posted: 8:07pm on Jan 2, 2012; Modified: 9:23pm on Jan 2, 2012 2012-01-03T02:23:48Z By Karla Ward Herald-Leader An apparent gas line explosion lit up the sky in Estill County on Monday night.The blast occurred at about 7 p.m. along Ky. 89 about seven miles outside of Irvine, said Estill County Judge Executive Wallace Taylor.There were no initial reports of injuries, but about 30 to 35 homes within a half-mile radius of the explosion were being evacuated, said Melissa Jessie, public information officer for the Estill County Emergency Management Agency.She said an emergency shelter was being set up for those families at Estill Springs Elementary School.As of about 9 p.m., Jessie said firefighters were working to contain the flames."A lot of woods are on fire right now," she said.Jessie said Ky. 89 had been shut down at the junction with Ky. 82.People who live in Madison County posted photographs on Facebook showing a bright orange glow in the sky.Pam Brandenburg, who owns a small grocery store on South Irvine Road, said she heard the "rumble" of the explosion, then saw the results."The whole sky's lit up," she said just after 7 p.m.It was unclear what caused the explosion or what kind of gas line was involved.Columbia Gas spokeswoman Lisa Smith said it was not one of the company's distribution lines. She said other companies have lines in that area as well.However, she said Columbia had sent some workers to help out at the scene at the request of Estill County officials. Copyright 2012 Herald-Leader. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2012/01/02/2013735/apparent-gas-line-explos...

[Starr DiGiacomo]

http://www.beloitdailynews.com/news/natural-gas-in-home-at-explosiv...

Natural gas in home at explosive level

TOWN OF TURTLE - A home reached dangerous levels of natural gas on Sunday, forcing other homes and businesses within 100 yards to be evacuated, and the street to be blocked off, on Sunday.

The Turtle Fire Department with assistance from Town of Beloit, shut off the gas at a home at 2115 Schuster Drive at 2:30 p.m. and evacuated the neighborhood due to risk of an explosion, according to Chief Tim Huffman.

One of the home's inhabitants had attempted to enter the home, but immediately called the fire department upon smelling a strong gas odor. Huffman said it was a good thing the department was immediately called because the home was at explosive levels of natural gas.

The department called Wisconsin Power and Light and the gas was shut off and windows were opened to ventilate the home. The odor was so strong firefighters smelled it as soon as they drove onto the property.

Huffman said any time a structure reaches 5-17 percent of natural gas in the air, it's an explosive levels.

The home at Schuster Drive was registering at 7-8 percent. If a furnace or light would have been turned on in the home, it likely would have caused a massive explosion, Huffman said.

The 911 Center called all homes and businesses surrounding the house, calling for evacuation.

Huffman said a valve for the dryer was cracked. Someone cleaning the house, taking cobwebs down with a broom, may have hit it. The valve was cracked enough to fill the entire home with gas.

After the gas was turned off and the home was ventilated, it was determined to be safe again.

In the home, natural gas is used in many of these appliances: gas clothes dryers, gas heating, gas water heaters, gas stoves, as fireplaces and gas fire pits, according to www.gas-leak.org.

Natural Gas is odorless; therefore, an additive that causes a rotten egg smell when the gas is in the air is mixed with the methane before the natural gas is delivered to the general public.

This additive is called Mercaptan, which is highly flammable and at very high concentrations it is highly toxic and affects the central nervous system.

If people smells even the smallest amount of natural gas in the air, they should leave immediately and inform their gas company. If that number is not known it's best to call 911.

People are advised not to use any electrical devices as they could spark and ignite the gas. People are advised not to try to shut off an gas valves or appliances or to start vehicles.

In addition to the rotten egg odor, signs of a gas leak include: a blowing or hissing sound, dead or discolored vegetation in an otherwise green area, flames, dirt or dust blowing from a hole in the ground or bubbling in wet or flooded areas, according to www.gas-leak.org.

[Starr DiGiacomo]

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Two-Injured-in-House-Explosion-in-...

Two Injured in House Explosion in Richardson

Firefighters say gas tank stored in home may have leaked

|  Wednesday, Dec 28, 2011

Omar Villafranca, NBC 5 News

Firefighters say a gas leak from a tank stored in the home could have caused the explosion.

advertisement

A house explosion sent a father and son to the hospital on Tuesday.

The blast happened just before 6 p.m. in the 1300 block of Wisteria Way in Richardson.

Assistant Fire Chief Steve Dossett said the two men had second-degree burns on their face and chest. They were taken to Parkland Medical Center.

Their conditions were not known as of late Tuesday night.

Dossett said the exact cause of the explosion was not yet known, but that a gas tank stored in the house for work purposes may have leaked. The gathering gas may have found an spark, causing the explosion, he said.

The explosion caused a small fire in one of the rooms, but fire crews were able to put it out before it spread.

“The front windows were blown out, the back French doors at the back of the house were blown out, and there is evidence that the roof had some damage to it from inside the house,” Dossett said of the damage to the house.

[Starr DiGiacomo]

http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Residents-head-home-after-g...

Residents head home after gas leak, explosions

Residents in Fort Edward and Hudson Falls went home Wednesday morning after a major gasoline leak seeped into sewer systems and caused underground explosions that forced evacuations.

No one was injured after a gasoline pump at a Cumberland Farms convenience store on Route 4 would not turn off and flooded the area with at least 100 gallons of fuel, a Hudson Falls police officer said Tuesday night.

Parts of both villages were evacuated as a precaution.

Route 4 leading into Hudson Falls was closed Tuesday night but reopened Wednesday morning.

There were unconfirmed reports that the leak was caused by a car striking one of the pumps. The smell of the fumes was so strong that a clerk at the convenience store fell ill, police said.

As the fuel escaped, rain helped move it into the area's sewer, police said. That caused gas fumes and underground pressure to build up, resulting in explosions which sent manhole covers flying high into the air.

Scores of firefighters and emergency crews were on the scene. Residents were given shelter at Fort Edward High School.

Other residents throughout the village and those in neighboring Fort Edward were ordered to stay in their homes and to avoid turning on lights and electrical appliances which could spark an explosion.