Explosion in Dallas

Source: CBS 11 news, Dallas

http://cbs11tv.com/

Read more: http://cbs11tv.com/

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Appears to be a gas company, near downtown. Cars exploding. Area seems to be evacuated.

Damn you, Al Gouda!

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Especially considering that it was a 10 month old cheese story.


:yourock:

"Why won't you dance with me?
I ain't no Limburger!" - B52s

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Honestly, I had second thoughts about even my first response. But dammit, right now a little bit o' funny is about all we're left with these days. Believe me, if this turns out to be genuine thread, I'll be grabbing the fondue pot!

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It's a real explosion with real people involved - I'm not thinking it's probably terrorism, if that's what you mean.
It probably is not terrorism.

And I was away too long to fix it. I know it's a real explosion and fire. What I meant was "If it's a genuine THREAT.

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My brother is a stone's throw from Industrial Blvd.

We're joking about the cheese.

"(CBS 11 News) DALLAS Several explosions and a large fire rocked an industrial area near downtown Dallas Wednesday morning.

The business, Southwest Industrial Gases, Inc., is believed to be a welding supply company. It went up in flames at about 9:30 a.m.

Several tanks of material believed to be fuel could be seen exploding and throwing large pieces of shrapnel throughout the area."

Sounds like something was improperly stored. That or someone was taking a smoke break in a place they shouldn't have.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/072607dnmetfire.acf53a6e.html


Dallas Fire-Rescue Lt. Joel Lavender said the fire started on a loading dock on the back side of the complex. The fire then spread into the building, where tanks of oxygen, helium and acetylene began blowing up.

Fire officials said employees were filling canisters with acetylene using a series of connecting tubes in what is known as “pig-tailing.”A connection malfunctioned at around 9:30 a.m., which apparently created enough pressure for one of the canisters to ignite.

Meanwhile, the employees immediately began using a hose to spray down the other tanks – not to extinguish the fire, but to cool the tanks, Lt. Lavender said.

But the canisters exploded in a chain reaction, burning two men on their upper bodies. Randal Bibb, 50, and Daniel McMurry, 56, were taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital. Mr. McMurry is the plant's co-owner and manager.
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Picture of a totally empty "mixmaster" tonight--usually the heaviest, most congested intersection of Dallas highways near downtown. There were 3 local radio traffic helicopters and 2 small aircrafts hovering and reporting over it during what should have been rush hour...all of them amazed at what the thing looked like with not a single car on it.




Pic of fire after the explosion:




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It's amazing more people weren't hurt and no one was killed.

his wife saw it happen.

Jesus.

Scary stuff.

All of the freeways that connect to them are affected. Debris removal and engineering inspections are going to take a long time. Rush-hour this afternoon is going to be pure hell.



http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/latestnews/stories/wfaa070725_lj_blast.acd5b014.html

I don't see anything funny about any of this.

And that's bad enough.

I don't think I'll drive down there tonight.

But I am scheduled to go down there tomorrow -- luckily further east, on the Central Expressway.

Various parts of every usually very, very crowded freeway near downtown are closed...I35, I30, etc. What a mess. I work at an clinic off of Harry Hines Blvd (near downtown) and EVERYone is using that road to avoid the highway. What should have been a 5 minute sprint to get on the Dallas Tollway took me 20 minutes in gridlock. Passed a firetruck that seemed to be in standby mode w/ the fireman trying to direct traffic.

And from the "no shit" headlines, the local news radio said that "the industry will be thinking about where it should locate future plants like this since huge cylinders that were engulfed in flames came showering down onto crowded freeways after the explosion". Ya THINK??? Traffic had come to a standstill, people were trying to back up, some were running from their cars when it started "raining" fire onto the cars. Some (on fire) cylinders were blown a quarter mile from the explosion..some towards a hotel. The county jail nearby had to be put on lockdown..any inmates who were being seen at our hospital had to be held at the hospital cuz there was no way to get them safely back to the jail.

It's amazing that more were not injured/killed.

But I don't know if that means people only.

This location is also close to a jail. I hope they're not breathing toxic fumes now.

timing is everything. Advantage Bu$hco, whether an accident or not.

It was just an industrial accident.

We really need get businesses like these out of strategic areas. The freeways near this business have been there for a very long time.

High concentration in Highland Park, a little city within the boundaries of Dallas, and where both the Resident and Vide-Resident are going to live after their terms, assuming they actually leave DC.

and no one's been killed.

Thank god I don't have to go to downtown Dallas today.

Work in close proximity to the scene - normal, lousy traffic and nothing too special this afternoon.