Phil Greely tweeted:
Anyone else hear that loud boom in what seemed like Lk Union area? Heard on morning walk in mid-Wallingford? @wallyhood
— Phil Greely (@PhilGreely) July 14, 2013
Stacy Wedlake id’ed it as coming from the Transfer Station:
@PhilGreely @wallyhood Came from transfer station: http://t.co/Q2oyPe63s1 911 Fire Dispatch says trucks went to 1350 N 34th St @ 8:24
— Stacey Wedlake (@staceyawe) July 14, 2013
The Seattle Times blog confirms it was an improperly disposed propane tank:
The explosion happened around 8:25 a.m. Seattle Fire spokesman Kyle Moore said workers at the station were using a backhoe to pack down recycled metal in a recyling bin. They didn’t know there was a propane tank in the bin, which should not have been recycled. When the backhoe crushed it, it exploded.
Nobody was hurt, although windows shattered in at least one house in the neighborhood.
(Photo of explosion has nothing to do with the article, except it’s an explosion, and was taken by Seattleite Michael Holden)
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The photo of the fireball is exciting, but nothing in the report says that the escaping propane ignited. Ignition would have required a spark or an exposed flame. As I recall, those piles of garbage are kept moist to prevent spontaneous combustion of other materials that people dispose of, but propane does not spontaneously ignite unless it is in a highly reactive atmosphere, like chlorine.
If the propane DID ignite, the fireball would rapidly rise and lots of garbage would have been completely ruined.
…or was it a stealth attack from the ELF?
Why post that picture, when it has nothing to do with the event? Seems like a good way to incite stress in your readers.
Awful reporting to have that picture. Pictures are information. That is just plain drama mongering. Put in a picture of a propane tank.
Propane tanks:
http://www.google.com/imgres?sa=X&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS494US494&biw=910&bih=396&tbm=isch&tbnid=u44Zdzp4541-DM:&imgrefurl=http://griffisgas.com/blog/&docid=2w0G_zdAZ_WMRM&imgurl=http://griffisgas.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/example-propane-tank.jpg&w=380&h=380&ei=mgbjUae3GOaniAK72IHgDw&zoom=1&ved=1t:3588,r:1,s:0,i:93&iact=rc&page=1&tbnh=198&tbnw=198&start=0&ndsp=4&tx=76&ty=98
http://www.google.com/imgres?start=138&sa=X&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS494US494&biw=910&bih=396&tbm=isch&tbnid=41pZzY6vpSmQEM:&imgrefurl=http://www.managemylife.com/mmh/questions/287834-disposable-mini-propane-tank-grill&docid=yXgJ4qXXfNkYlM&imgurl=http://www.managemylife.com/images/16250/original/propane_tanks2.jpg%253F1329187953&w=500&h=500&ei=zQbjUcDDM6T8iwKkmoHQDQ&zoom=1&ved=1t:3588,r:44,s:100,i:136&iact=rc&page=18&tbnh=203&tbnw=209&ndsp=8&tx=77&ty=49
ohhh so that’s what that boom was. sorta felt it up stone way a few blocks.
I was running by the transfer station right after the boom – there was no fire, just a very big cloud of dust. The boom was pretty impressive.
Incite stress in Wallyhood readers? The boom/explosion literally shook our house and we live two blocks away. The explosion was very disturbing in so many ways.
Yeah, but it gave you something to talk about.
That photo is from Burning Man. Just sayin’.
I was there around noon Saturday dropping off metal recycling when this guy walks up and puts down a propane tank. It was right under a sign that said something like “No Propane Tanks!” I’d guess it was the same one that blew this morning. Thing is, it’s not like it was hidden or underneath anything. It was just sitting in front of all the other metal scrap, plainly visible. Anybody who worked there could have seen it. At the time I was surprised that nobody said anything to the guy with the tank. Now I’m *really* surprised that nobody noticed the tank and removed it before it was crushed.