Man blows up house reloading

[03hemi]

Let's look at the pictures, shall we...

The damage is confined to an area at the back of garage or the room behind it. The resulting damage indicates an explosion but not much (if any) of a resulting fire. This is backed up by the fact there is lots of small debris and a partial collapse of the truss system over the point of origin but the rest of the house remains intact with no smoke staining or sooty runoff. In fact, there is no water or sooty runoff from the fire department down the driveway, where you would expect it to be. Witnesses also say they heard "an explosion".

This was not a natural gas explosion (from a gas leak to a clothes dryer or gas water heater, either of which you would expect in that area of the house). If it was, the damage would be much (MUCH) greater - with possible secondary damage to surrounding structures. The same can be said if it was a meth lab - plus there would be more evidence.

The news reported that investigators already made the determination that it was a result of the reloading activity and the smokeless powder. There is nothing shown that contradicts this conclusion. I would not be surprised if the homeowner/reloader may have had a fan or an AC unit running in his work area that may have stirred up some powder, or possibly tipped over his container by accident. Get enough of it airborne and it WILL explode. Heck, wheat dust will explode. I also wouldn't hesitate to believe that he may have been smoking or was using some electrical equipment that may have generated an open spark.

The most amazing part about what I see is that he is actually using his garage FOR A CAR!

Never underestimate "Florida Man"...

I think I'll go with the FIREMAN on speculation? Sugar is also highly combustionable in large dust plooms also.

 

[Eddie Southgate]

Back in '64 a local gunshop, Shooters Paradise blew up, Killed the owner and blew customers out of the plate glass front windows. The owner was also a gunsmith, He was in the basement checking out a repaired pistol. Fire dept said that he set off a pound of black powder in a paper bag in the basement. What was strange was the local natural gas company was there the next day leveling out the rubble.
SWCA 892

Black powder in a bag will flash but not explode . Gas leak .

 

[llowry61]

One thing is for sure, the house is a mess regardless of what caused it.

 

[Golphin]

Smokeless powder is not dust or small enough particles unless someone ground it up somehow. It will not float up in the air it will fall to the floor.

 

[walnutred]

Before we switched to M109 SP howitzers my battery had M102 towed howitzers. For the M102 the casings came pre loaded with bags of smokeless powder and you would pull bags out of the casings to adjust the load. At the end of the practice firing we might end up with 40-50 lbs of powder which we would dispose of by putting it in a ditch and firing a flare into the powder. The powder would burn like the Mother of All Road Flares but not explode if unconfined.

 

[luvsmiths]

Black powder in a bag will flash but not explode . Gas leak .

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BY9oJX3OapI[/ame]

 

[rwsmith]

My thought...

He did not blow up his house while reloading.

He blew up his house (and his reloading bench) while cooking up meth on a leaky gas stove

My thoughts exactly.

 

[Chuck24]

I guess that since the powers that be have apparently concluded that it's a reloading accident the investigation is closed and we'll never really know what happened.

 

[stansdds]

I think I'll go with the FIREMAN on speculation? Sugar is also highly combustionable in large dust plooms also.

Sugar might also be considered highly combustible when mixed with water, sometimes fermented fruit added, then heated in a a container that has a hole at the top to which a pipe is connected, the pipe often runs through a cooling coil... but if there is a leak in that sort of system... boom!

 

[Jdavis]

Having worked in the electrical industry for many years, I have witnessed a good bit of fire inspector's speculation first hand. We had several cases of electrical short circuits causing fires when the buildings did not have power connected to them. My guess is that the "reloader" was probably smoking around an open gasoline container which ignited the fumes leading to the explosion and fire. The smokeless powder acted as an accelerant creating a "hot spot" at the reloading area. Of course, this is just speculation. There is probably more to this story than is being told.

 

[Muss Muggins]

It's been a good ride, but there are at least a half dozen other threads here on this forum where the forum members don't believe the public information and have proposed ridiculous alternate theories . . .

 

[Goffmint]

A lot more to this story, in my opinion he hasn't give the real details of how it blows up

 

[Greyman50]

FWIW, just how close was this guy to the " explosion"?, seems he would have been killed?

 

[Nevada Ed]

Since the guy survived...............

I am saying he took a break and went to the men's room and was sitting down, reading a magazine

when things happened !!

 

[__steve__]

Smokeless powder is almost as combustible as paper, at 1 atm.

 

[mikld]

I've stayed awat from this thread (here and on other forums) as the more people commenting just adds to any leftest news media's credibility, BS. A truthful report would be "House explodes while man is working at his hobby in his garage". But that wouldn't sell as many newspapers and wouldn't give anti-gunners any glee...

 

[sourdough44]

Having worked in the electrical industry for many years, I have witnessed a good bit of fire inspector's speculation first hand. We had several cases of electrical short circuits causing fires when the buildings did not have power connected to them. My guess is that the "reloader" was probably smoking around an open gasoline container which ignited the fumes leading to the explosion and fire. The smokeless powder acted as an accelerant creating a "hot spot" at the reloading area. Of course, this is just speculation. There is probably more to this story than is being told.

I'm in the same camp.

 

[mikld]

I'm in the same camp.

Although I haven't kept up with the "reports" but has it been determined, by an experts (not some reporter) that the reloading was specifically responsible for the explosion? I've been reloading for over 40 years, have kept in touch with the reloading community and have never heard of any instance like reported; "Man blows up house whie reloading"...

 

[Imissedagain]

With powder hard to find these days can this meth stuff be used as a substitute for Bullseye, Unique or H110?

Not so funny but:
VA just called to schedule a consult with a general surgeon.
I replied that I would prefer a Colonel.
It took the gal a few seconds but she laughed.

 

[stansdds]

Although I haven't kept up with the "reports" but has it been determined. by an experts (not some reporter) that the reloading was specifically responsible for the explosion? I've been reloading for over 40 years, have kept in touch with the reloading community and have never heard of any instance like reported; "Man blows up house whie reloading"...

I agree, but perhaps there is one very important factor we have been overlooking. It was a Florida man and if you Google "Florida Man" and read some of those reports... well...