Fire at boatyard at Osney

[Alan de Enfield]

For those interested I have better up to date news than Reuters or the Beeb. I am online now with my mate actualy in the marina and have pictures. I am a dinosaur and have no idea how to put online so....The end of one block of flats totaly demolished and at least two boats and several cars adjacent to them destroyed. A huge hole blown out of the side of another first floor dwelling of some sort. Bricks and debri strewn over hundreds of yards ( thats metres ) to Eu members.

Still being treated as a no go crime scene.

 

As mentioned earlier - having seen (& been on the receiving end) of a 'gas cylinder explosion and fire' miles away from anywhere in the middle of the countryside I can well imagine the damage caused in a built-up area.

[matty40s]

http://www.itv.com/news/meridian/story/2017-02-14/huge-explosion-and-fire-in-oxford/

Hope it was not a boat that went up, one still missing. Bloody hell

Edit to say looks like the flat. Hopefully all down the pub.

It's the corner block of Gibbs Crescent which sits behind marina hard standing area.

[Murflynn]

 

 

Nonsense. It is the difference between a fierce fire and a huge explosion.

 

 

as we have established, where petrochemicals are burning fiercely and the containers failing by expansive behavior of the contents ('blowing up'), it is classified as a type of explosion. 40 years in the oil and gas industry taught me the potential of a petrochemical 'mechanical explosion'.

 

 

Wiki:

Mechanical and vapor[edit]

Strictly a physical process, as opposed to chemical or nuclear, e.g., the bursting of a sealed or partially sealed container under internal pressure is often referred to as a 'mechanical explosion'. Examples include an overheated boiler or a simple tin can of beans tossed into a fire.

Boiling liquid expanding vapor explosions are one type of mechanical explosion that can occur when a vessel containing a pressurized liquid is ruptured, causing a rapid increase in volume as the liquid evaporates. Note that the contents of the container may cause a subsequent chemical explosion, the effects of which can be dramatically more serious, such as a propane tank in the midst of a fire. In such a case, to the effects of the mechanical explosion when the tank fails are added the effects from the explosion resulting from the released (initially liquid and then almost instantaneously gaseous) propane in the presence of an ignition source. For this reason, emergency workers often differentiate between the two events.

so ............ NOT NONSENSE.

[Onewheeler]

For thiose interested I have better up to date news than Reuters or the Beeb. I am online now with my mate actualy in the marina and have pictures.

 

If you're still there, can you check if Boden has any glass left in the windows? About 50 m downstream of the explosion and opposite.

 

Martin/

Edited February 15, 2017 by Onewheeler

[lulu fish]

as we have established, where petrochemicals are burning fiercely and the containers failing by expansive behavior of the contents ('blowing up'), it is classified as a type of explosion. 40 years in the oil and gas industry taught me the potential of a petrochemical 'mechanical explosion'.

 

 

Wiki: Mechanical and vapor[edit]

Strictly a physical process, as opposed to chemical or nuclear, e.g., the bursting of a sealed or partially sealed container under internal pressure is often referred to as a 'mechanical explosion'. Examples include an overheated boiler or a simple tin can of beans tossed into a fire.

Boiling liquid expanding vapor explosions are one type of mechanical explosion that can occur when a vessel containing a pressurized liquid is ruptured, causing a rapid increase in volume as the liquid evaporates. Note that the contents of the container may cause a subsequent chemical explosion, the effects of which can be dramatically more serious, such as a propane tank in the midst of a fire. In such a case, to the effects of the mechanical explosion when the tank fails are added the effects from the explosion resulting from the released (initially liquid and then almost instantaneously gaseous) propane in the presence of an ignition source. For this reason, emergency workers often differentiate between the two events.

so ............ NOT NONSENSE.

A container blowing from a pressure release valve is not the container failing, it is acting as it should, releasing the pressure to prevent an explosion.

 

So yes, nonsense.

Edited February 15, 2017 by lulu fish

[Neil Smith]

 

As mentioned earlier - having seen (& been on the receiving end) of a 'gas cylinder explosion and fire' miles away from anywhere in the middle of the countryside I can well imagine the damage caused in a built-up area.

if it was in the flat it was probably mains gas not bottled I would think.

 

NEIL

[mrsmelly]

if it was in the flat it was probably mains gas not bottled I would think.

 

NEIL

 

No mains gas supply!!

[MtB]

if it was in the flat it was probably mains gas not bottled I would think.

 

NEIL

 

Most flats don't have gas and ISTR the newspaper link saying no gas in these.

[dor]

I'm on an iPad in France so don't get quite the same versions, but it seems odd that neither the BBC UK news page or the Guardian mention this fire and explosion. If it was a significant explosion and people missing one would expect to see something.

Is there a cover-up? Is it still reported on BBC.co.uk/news? Here it goes to BBC.com.

[Athy]

I'm on an iPad in France so don't get quite the same versions, but it seems odd that neither the BBC UK news page or the Guardian mention this fire and explosion. If it was a significant explosion and people missing one would expect to see something.

Is there a cover-up? Is it still reported on BBC.co.uk/news? Here it goes to BBC.com.

As iut appears to be a quite major accident, I was expecting it to be covered on last night's News At Ten. But no, I suppose there was no time for it in between Your Trumps Tonight and Arsenal losing again.

[alan_fincher]

Best I can findis this, which is quite detailed.

One person missing, and I can find no later updates to that.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04rf25n

[Bee]

Yes curious word, that.

 

Chateau neuf: Castle nine.

 

Chat au neuf: Cat of nine (lives).

Also means new, as in Neufcastle - Newcastle. OK I'm not a linguist. Also I must say I've learnt a lot about cannabis but if I can just correct one thing mentioned in a previous post, the munchies are not 'suffered' by stoners, those chocolate biscuits were really far out. Man.

[Athy]

Also means new, as in Neufcastle - Newcastle.

Yes - see post no. 38.

[BruceinSanity]

As iut appears to be a quite major accident, I was expecting it to be covered on last night's News At Ten. But no, I suppose there was no time for it in between Your Trumps Tonight and Arsenal losing again.

Yes, very strange. If you Google "Osney fire" you get BBC news hits, but not if you just visit the BBC News site. Similarly, the press in general seems to have ignored it as it's not coming up on the Apple News app at all. You expect the tabloids to have picked up in it at least.

[Nightwatch]

http://www.itv.com/news/meridian/story/2017-02-15/investigation-continues-after-oxford-fire-and-explosion/

 

Southern TV report from,I guess last nights news. Fred Dinage. Been around for many years.

 

Martyn

[mrsmelly]

Its on our news every time the news is on. Just been on again stating there is still one person missing and police officialy just stated they are now looking for a body.

Very major news here on itv 5 mins ago before " The chase "

[Grebe]

a more detailed report, including details of the missing man has just gone onto the Guardian website.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/feb/16/police-warn-not-approach-man-guido-schuette-missing-oxford-flats-blast

[mrsmelly]

On telly news now. 48 year old bloke be lelieved dead and being searched for. its given his name.

[WotEver]

On telly news now. 48 year old bloke be lelieved dead and being searched for. its given his name.

Sadly if he was anywhere near the explosion all they're likely to find is some smears of DNA.

[ditchcrawler]

On telly news now. 48 year old bloke be lelieved dead and being searched for. its given his name.

And the police are saying don't approach him but dial 999

Edit

His name is Guido Schuette

Edited February 16, 2017 by ditchcrawler

[Nightwatch]

And the police are saying don't approach him but dial 999

Is this a throw away comment or a true statement?

[ditchcrawler]

Is this a throw away comment or a true statement?

True

[WotEver]

Is this a throw away comment or a true statement?

It's true.

 

Reading between the lines I think they're guessing that he blew up in the explosion but they're taking no chances and offering the 'Do not approach' advice should anyone see him.

[Guest]

A container blowing from a pressure release valve is not the container failing, it is acting as it should, releasing the pressure to prevent an explosion.

 

So yes, nonsense.

 

Oh dear - breathtaking complacency. No - this is not nonsense. When a propane or butane cylinder is exposed to fire, the contents will heat up and the internal pressure will rise rapidly. This will cause the pressure relief valve to operate and the gas that issues forth will promptly ignite, adding to the fun and heat. As the cylinder heats up, it weakens. It will very rapidly weaken to the point that when the internal pressure is high enough, the weakened cylinder wall WILL rupture explosively, the pressure relief valve simply being unable to vent sufficient gas to moderate the pressure inside the cylinder.

 

When the cylider ruptures, the internal pressure falls to atmospheric and the superheated contents will flash into vapour and immediately ignite, creating a fireball that will incinerate anything unfortunate enough to be nearby. This is the classic BLEVE that other contributors have mentioned.This process is NOT unusual or difficult to provoke. If you put any gas cylinder into a bonfire that is hot enough, it WILL explode with considerable force. It is this explosion that projects the fragments of cylinder (i.e. red-hot shrapnel) at very high speed for 100s of metres, not the comparitively insignificant effect of the jet of gas escaping from the presure relief valve. If the base weld of the cylinder fails, the whole thing can act like a rocket and fly for considerable distances.This is quite sufficient to destroy a building. I have personally seen examples where an aerosol-size can of blowtorch fuel has exploded in this fashion - it was sufficient to lift and move the roof of the building where the explosion occurred.

 

Just in case you're wondering, I have 30 years experience as a Fire Officer and was a specialist Hazmats Officer who dealt with many, many cylinder incidents over the course of my career. So the message is....these things ARE dangerous and they WILL explode if exposed to fire. Do not be complacent, because they WILL bite, and bite hard.

Edited February 16, 2017 by Speedy23

[ditchcrawler]

It's true.

 

Reading between the lines I think they're guessing that he blew up in the explosion but they're taking no chances and offering the 'Do not approach' advice should anyone see him.

I am wondering what caused the explosion