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Chemical Fire Injures 12 Firefighters
March 24, 2008

A chemical fire that raged on Sunday afternoon on Claudina Way in Anaheim, California, left large amounts of chemical residue on the streets. Businesses have been closed while a private contracting company attempts to clean up the residue.

The fire apparently broke out at about 4 pm on Sunday next to five chemical tanks near the Alstyle Dyeing and Finishing Company at 500 E Cerritos Avenue. At least one 4000-gallon hydrogen peroxide tank and two 1000-gallon phosphoric acid tanks were involved in the fire. These chemicals are known oxidizers and their presence helped fan the flames helping the fire to spread faster. At least 100 firefighters from all over Orange County were brought in to control the blaze. The fire was brought under control in just under one hour. Damage was said to be restricted to the outside of the 50,000 square foot building, and the damage was limited to the tanks and the loading areas.

While damage was restricted to the immediate vicinity, this could have turned into a major disaster. At least 12 firefighters were injured with mild to moderate injuries in the blaze. They were reports of some firefighters suffering from chemical burns and respiratory irritation. It was not known whether these injuries were caused by the fire or by the chemical that was released in the fire. Hydrogen peroxide is used as a bleaching agent.

There are no confirmations about what caused the fire but initial reports from the Orange County Register did point to a grass fire next to a commercial building that spread and caused the chemical tank to explode. At least one tank of 4000 gallons of hydrogen peroxide was believed to have been ruptured in the blast.

As cleanup operations began, the entire stretch of Anaheim Way from Katella Avenue to Anaheim Boulevard has been closed. At least 20 businesses have been affected while the clean up process is under way.

Hydrogen peroxide is a useful and, to a large extent, safe chemical that is used in many applications in residential and commercial purposes. It is used as a household cleaner, as an antiseptic and has dozens of other uses. But in higher concentrations such as those that have been seen in the chemical fire explosion, hydrogen peroxide can cause fires and explosions. The concentration of hydrogen peroxide in household cleaners or bleaching agents is so small it isn't likely to harm you, but when the concentration is as high as is seen in industrial accidents and fires, the inhalation of these fumes is enough to cause injuries severe enough to warrant hospitalization.

The coming days are sure to give us new clues about the origin of the fire that caused the chemical tank explosion.

If you have been injured in a fire or an explosion, you need the help of an experienced California personal injury attorney. Contact a lawyer at The Reeves Law Group for a free consultation.

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Georgia Sugar Plant had a Prior Explosion
February 19, 2008

When the powerful blast shook the sprawling Imperial Sugar refinery in Savannah, Georgia, the impact was so great, rescue authorities went scurrying to the nearby river to look for victims. In the days following the turbulence and chaos, the death toll was pegged at 9 workers. The number of injured was at least 40 persons. Fourteen of those injured still remain in critical condition with severe burn injuries, while two other workers are also in a serious condition.

Now, a federal investigator has revealed that there was a smaller explosion at the refinery caused by an explosion of sugar dust a few days before the bigger explosion. Sugar dust is tiny particles of sugar powder that have a gunpowder like quality, and can ignite when confined in enclosed spaces. The earlier explosion, the NY Times reports, claimed no victims and no one was injured. The investigation into the blast was carried out by investigators from the US Chemical Safety Board, and investigating officers say it's too early to draw a relationship between that earlier incident and the latest deadly explosion.

There definitely seems to be a connection between the earlier incident and the more catastrophic explosion. Investigators are looking into the accumulation of sugar dust, and how the ignitable dust could have been allowed to accumulate in what were, very obviously, flammable conditions. The plant was connected by pipes and fans that were designed to minimize the risk of explosions by blowing all the sugar dust, and transferring it into special dust collector bins fixed on the roof. A spark in one of these bins was responsible for the earlier explosion, investigators say. A small piece of metal they believe, made its way through into the dust collector, and as soon as a spark was ignited from the metal, the sugar dust exploded. There were ventilation panels in the dust collector that minimized the impact of the explosion.

This dust extraction equipment could be responsible for the more recent explosion, which occurred in a basement where large conveyor belts were used to move sugar from storage silos to a packing area. Sugar dust was found accumulating below the basement.

How is it possible that sugar dust which is a known incendiary substance as powerful as gunpowder when a spark is lit in a enclosed space, was allowed to accumulate in a sugar refinery? How much dust could have accumulated to cause a blast so powerful it gutted 12 percent of the 872,000 square foot plant? Obviously the sugar dust wasn't all getting transferred to the bins on the roof. There is already evidence of sugar dust accumulation underneath the basement where the blast occurred. What was a combustible substance doing underneath a basement? Safety standards seem to have been not just lax, but outright non-existent in this case.

Don't negate the impact of clout in the investigations. Imperial Sugar is not your neighborhood sugar mill. It's the country's largest processor and refiner of sugar. The Texas-based company acquired Savannah Foods and Industries in 1997, and it markets some of the country's leading sugar and sweetener brands.

If you or a loved-one has been injured or killed in an explosion or fire, you need the help of an experienced California personal injury attorney. Contact a lawyer at The Reeves Law Group for a free consultation.

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Orange County Fires Still Burn Fiercely
October 26, 2007

The Santiago brush fire is still burning fiercely in the Santa Ana Mountains. The fire is still threatening nearly 750 homes in the Silverado Canyon area of Orange County and is burning toward Riverside County. The Santiago fire is 30% contained, but its threatening valuable communications equipment on Modjeska Peak. The fire is currently being fought by over a thousand fire fighters, over 100 fire engines and several aircraft.

Orange County Fire Authority officials have determined that the fire was intentionally set in two different locations along the eastern side of Santiago Canyon on Sunday. There is a $250,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the arsonist, including $100,000 offered by Los Angeles radio station KFI-AM 640.

If you or your family has been injured by a fire caused by the negligent or intentional actions of a third party, contact a California personal injury attorney at The Reeves Law Group for a free consultation.

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Anaheim Apartment Fire Displaces Residents
October 08, 2007

An apartment fire blazed across a residential complex in Anaheim, California, destroying apartments and cars and leaving at least 40 families homeless. This is the second major fire in Orange County in the past week. Last Sunday a fire broke out in an apartment in Costa Mesa, California, where a family of nine lived.

According to the Orange County Register, the Anaheim fire is believed to have originated in the carport of the apartment complex at around 3 am. Fire fighters from Anaheim and nearby Fullerton succeeded in dousing the flames about an hour and a half later, but by then the fire had consumed at least 4 apartments and several cars. The heat was so intense that the steel columns that support the building bowed, and rescue workers had to place wooden beams to prevent the building from collapsing. The total damage was estimated at $260,000. The cause of the fire has not yet been identified.

Many of the apartments were home to large families, as many as 8 or 9 in some instances. California law prohibits building laws that place any cap on the number of residents living in an apartment.

For now, displaced residents are being put up in hotels as they come to terms with the loss of all their possessions. The American Red Cross has voiced concerns that a couple of nights in a hotel will hardly be enough to help them recover from the tragedy.

A fire takes barely a second to ignite and can cause massive destruction in mere minutes. Every year, millions of dollars are lost nationwide to fires and explosions. In many cases, a fire occurs as the result of improper safety regulations in buildings and apartment complexes.

If you have been injured or lost a loved one in a fire caused by negligence or safety code violations, the personal injury lawyers at The Reeves Law Group may be able to help you receive compensation for your losses.

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Fatal Explosion at Mojave Desert Airport Kills 3
July 30, 2007

It was a routine testing procedure for the propellant system of an exciting new space tourism vehicle. But the July 26 scene of events at the remote test site of Scaled Composites LLC at the Mojave Desert Airport near the edge of Kern County resembled anything but a routine procedure. A powerful explosion believed to have been caused by an operating malfunction killed three workers -two of them instantly- and seriously injured three others.

Scaled Composites LLC is spearheaded by the maverick aviation entrepreneur Burt Rutan, and created history in 2004 by launching the first private manned rocket spaceship, the SpaceShip One. Rutan had partnered with British tycoon Richard Branson to build a fleet of commercial space vehicles called SpaceShip 2. The highly secretive project has been underway for a while in a closed-to- the-public hangar.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the explosion occurred during a test of the flow of nitrous oxide through an injector. Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas and widely used in dentist's offices, is not considered to be a particularly hazardous material. Rutan claims that the chemical was at the required temperature and that the testing procedure did not involve any sort of spark or ignition of the rocket motor.

Meanwhile, the dead have been identified as Eric Dean Blackwell, Charles May, and Todd Ivens. The injured are reported to be in a serious condition with severe burn injuries at the Kern County Medical Center in Bakersfield.

Although Rutan remains tightlipped about his project, investigations are underway and questions about wrongful death are likely to be raised in the coming days.

Attorneys at The Reeves Law Group are highly successful in handling wrongful death cases and ensuring that justice is delivered to victims and their families.

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