Blast from the past and today.
It just struck me as interesting how two disaster events are sharing the same day. The present day one is the Explosion and fire in Dallas at a gas distribution facility. The other occurred 45 years ago and was a propane truck explosion that nearly wiped out the town just 10 miles north of where I lived. That one I can still remember walking through the streets of burning houses bringing coffee, soda and sandwiches to the guys fighting it (including my father and grandfather).
For me in between was the Achner's Fuel Fire which was a minor (in size that is) version of what happen in Dallas today. We had two (a 300 lbs and a 100 lbs) propane tanks that became rockets. Fortunately both when into the company's truck service garage and not into the houses surrounding the company. They missed us by inches, the 100 lbs taking out the door I'd been standing in front of not 5 minutes before. When I saw the video from Dallas I could clearly recall the heat and picking myself up off the ground after the tanks went off.
I guess it just goes to show that no matter how careful we try to be and no matter how many safe guards we put on accidents still happen. I'm sure that just as with the propane truck (caused by faulty weld, driver error and overheated brakes) they'll find the cause of the Dallas fire and make new recommendations. But for any of us who run toward fires instead of away from them we know the only thing we can do is train for the next time.
For me in between was the Achner's Fuel Fire which was a minor (in size that is) version of what happen in Dallas today. We had two (a 300 lbs and a 100 lbs) propane tanks that became rockets. Fortunately both when into the company's truck service garage and not into the houses surrounding the company. They missed us by inches, the 100 lbs taking out the door I'd been standing in front of not 5 minutes before. When I saw the video from Dallas I could clearly recall the heat and picking myself up off the ground after the tanks went off.
I guess it just goes to show that no matter how careful we try to be and no matter how many safe guards we put on accidents still happen. I'm sure that just as with the propane truck (caused by faulty weld, driver error and overheated brakes) they'll find the cause of the Dallas fire and make new recommendations. But for any of us who run toward fires instead of away from them we know the only thing we can do is train for the next time.