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Massive Fire Near Campus - Winston Weaver Fertilizer Plant 1400 N. Cherry Street

 
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ConnorEl said:
This site seems to be updating…contains a lot of information

https://www.wfmynews2.com/article/n...salem/83-059ea50c-e8be-4fbf-aaab-d66b782d40ef


Sounds like the truck spraying water is probably hooked up to a hydrant so that’s good.
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Yes, they'll hook them up to hydrants and set them to flow unmanned, called a monitor. The issue is when the trucks inevitably run out of diesel fuel. Usually on long fires without the massive risk of explosion, refueling trucks come in. That impossible with this fire. Hope and pray that the combustible materials around the ammonium nitrate burn down while the water is still flowing. If that happens, the tanks might not explode.
 
A friend and fellow firefighter in WS is working the fire and snapped this pic after the evacuation.
def17d7b12e538073d8b19232a47d6b6.jpg
 
If its a sealed tank that's even worse. The pressure building inside will be an additional catalyst.
 
Liquid Karma said:
If its a sealed tank that's even worse. The pressure building inside will be an additional catalyst.
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I'm trying to remember back to my hazmat certification, but I do not believe those rail cars are air tight, but are water tight. There are popoff valves to release pressure, but direct heat impingement could still set it off. The cars are made of steel, so superheating them would weaken the steel and magnify any imperfections.

Our instructor always told us to use the rule of thumb with ammonium nitrate. Stretch your arm out and hold up your thumb. If you can still see the fire, you're too close.
 
This was the explosion in West, just north of Waco, a few years back. Comes at the very end.

 
I rode out Reynolda on my way to work this morning. The smoke around the WFU entrance was terrible. It was really thick from about the Village Tavern to Polo Rd. Hope all the students are staying inside. The smell is awful and I can't imagine trying to breathe that.
 
yeah have to imagine it's not always just the explosion that can cause serious harm
 
With classes cancelled, would think a lot of students are leaving campus and heading further away for the day unless campus and/or dorms are on lockdown.
 
Wonder what's going to happen with the basketball game tomorrow. LJVM is outside of the radius, but it's not that far out.
 
bym051d said:
Wonder what's going to happen with the basketball game tomorrow. LJVM is outside of the radius, but it's not that far out.
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I doubt there's any way we play at the Joel tomorrow. It's probably too late to move to Greensboro?
 
My daughter has hockey practice at the annex tonight, but I imagine it is just a matter of time before that gets cancelled.
 
EatLeadCommie said:
This was the explosion in West, just north of Waco, a few years back. Comes at the very end.

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And that was with half of the Ammonium Nitrate estimated to be at the Weaver facility. I wouldn't want to be near a window within a couple miles of the blast if this thing goes off.
 
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