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Explosion in Flint

mattmia2
mattmia2 Member Posts: 9,572
I wonder if this could be anything other than some form of gas, either natural or some form of bottled lpg. There doesn't seem to be the usual "we smelled gas a block away" reports that usually accompany a natural gas explosion. there is a video though.:
https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/2021/11/surveillance-video-captures-house-explosion-in-flint-neighborhood.html

Comments

  • EdTheHeaterMan
    EdTheHeaterMan Member Posts: 7,713
    Is it possible that Jack Bower (played by Kiefer Sutherland) was driving by just as John McClane (Bruce Willis) flew in on a 747 while James Bond (Daniel Craig) was sipping a martini in Flint?
    Edward F Young. Retired HVAC ContractorSpecialized in Residential Oil Burner and Hydronics
    mattmia2
  • unclejohn
    unclejohn Member Posts: 1,833
    My money is on Jason Bourne
    EdTheHeaterManSolid_Fuel_Man
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 9,572
    They still haven't released a cause of this yet. They have to know by now at least what the fuel was and approximately where it was by now don't they?
  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 16,796
    Maybe it was something in the water.................... >:)
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 9,572
    That does not sound technically accurate. At one point the confuse gasoline and methane. At another point they imply that a natural gas explosion has to be the fault of the utility which is the least likely cause...
    pecmsg
  • PC7060
    PC7060 Member Posts: 1,155
    edited May 2022
    Steamhead said:
    Maybe it was something in the water.................... >:)
    Ouch! That hurts!  :expressionless:
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 9,572
    that would very quickly delve in to the no politics.
  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 16,796
    edited May 2022
    mattmia2 said:

    that would very quickly delve in to the no politics.

    @mattmia2 , the water problems in Flint are well documented, as was the cause. The question here is, how did the explosion happen, and was it the gas utility's fault which would make them as bad as the water utility?
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 9,572
    Steamhead said:

    @mattmia2 , the water problems in Flint are well documented, as was the cause.

    The cause of the cause is what gets very political very quickly.

    the gas utility is a very different political situation than the water utility. The gas utility is a a private company that serves most of the state outside of large cities. It is possible that the utility's equipment failed. it is a lot more likely that equipment that was owned by the property owner failed or was tampered with. If it was rental property and customer side equipment i can see reasons the state might not want to say much. It also could have been some other accidental or intentional fuel.
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,160
    Unhappily there will be at least three and maybe four sets of investigation on this one (probably). There will be lawyers and their kin looking for whom to sue and grounds, however, flimsy, to do it on. There will be politicians looking to find good campaign talking points. Both of those will go well and quickly. If it looks like there might have been a criminal component (I can think of possibilities) the law enforcement folks will be hard at work. Then, hopefully but not certainly since this does not appear, at least, to have a transportation component, there will a NTSB investigation which will seek to establish the chain of events -- without determining fault -- which led to the explosion. That last one may take a year or more -- the evidence seems to be rather scattered about -- but is the only one of any actual value. Be interesting to see what they have to say, though, to hopefully avoid having it happen again.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
    MaxMercy
  • Dave Carpentier
    Dave Carpentier Member Posts: 586
    If it was natural gas, how much gas would you need to "blow a house to smithereens" ? Gas rises, would the occupants not notice and leave the building before it hit LEL ? It would have to be a fairly high vol leak, no ?
    Propane can collect in a basement without anyone noticing, and then go boom.
    30+ yrs in telecom outside plant.
    Currently in building maintenance.
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 9,572
    Still inconclusive somehow:
    https://nbc25news.com/news/local/hogarth-ave-explosion-confirmed-as-natural-gas-leak-says-flint-fire-chief

    You would think one could work out where the gas was leaking from. The actual source of ignition is less important.