LAFD / Titanium Scrap Warehouse Explosion / Part Two of Three

[Zantozzzz]

at 0:43, someone dropped his cellphone after the explosion.

[WATCHNLEARNxx]

@Zantozzzz oh no, he better risk his life to save it

[mattbenj1]

Pretty incredible fire...yes it was Titanium that was stored in the building against the terms of the lease. We manage the property and created quite a mess, the exploding Titanium hit buildings up the street. As you said....it's a good thing no one was hurt.

[engs0020]

About a year later I hope your fellow firefighters have recovered. Scary stuff.

[sharppointy1]

Whoa! What exploded? Were you hurt?

[firelensman]

@sharppointy1 said: What exploded?

Probably a propane tank under molten titanium. I am not sure. One thing I know for sure, after the initial explosion I ran for my life. In 15 years of covering various blazes this explosion was a shocker. Even as far as across the Boulevard, thousands molten flaming metal bits flying and bouncing on the pavement in all directions. It was literally "raining fire." Like a hailstorm in hell! Miraculously no-one was killed.

[joek0617]

@firelensman "As a powder or in the form of metal shavings, titanium metal poses a significant fire hazard and, when heated in air, an explosion hazard.[77] Water and carbon dioxide-based methods to extinguish fires are ineffective on burning titanium; Class D dry powder fire fighting agents must be used instead."-wikipedia

it was titanium