Would a safe be safe?

[Castler]

Hi everyone. I'm writing a fiction book, and I need the knowledgeable opinion of people such as yourselves. In my book, a house is filled or nearly filled or partially filled with natural gas from the stove or oven, and then set afire, at which point I assume it would explode in some sort of fireball. Please feel free to explain to me in detail what might really happen. Anyhow, I would like a steel or iron safe to survive the blast. First of all, is my scenario feasible, and how damaged would this safe actually be?

Thanks for any consideration.


Castler.

[kingspaz]

you obviously haven't read the rules and aren't here to learn the 'trade' however, should you be willing to give credit to roguesci in your book i'm sure we can help you out. this thread is being transferred to the water cooler where it is more suitable.

edit: i believe a safe would survive the blast. of course for the explosion there would have to be some sort of ignition source. this could be anything, the static from somebody's football shirt (some kid got killed like that when playing with propane IIRC). it could be the spark from a light switch, a cigarette being lit, or possibly the static from a tv screen as someone brushes past.

what would happen is that deflagration (burning) of the gas/air mixture would occur at lightning fast speed from the ignition point. this would create as you say a 'fireball' only at very high speed (not like shit you see on films). hot gas takes up more space than cold gas, thus, the air in the room takes up more space than it used to so the now hot air, in effect, pushes the room down. these type of explosions are great for leveling of 'soft' tragets such as ordinary buildings. but as they do not have a shattering effect as high explosives do there is little chance the safe will be destroyed. it will simply be blasted out the way which i'm sure some 10mm steel will handle.

[Castler]

I apologize if I posted in the wrong forum. Thanks for the quick reply, and I'll only use the information for my book. Mentioning Rogue Science would not be a problem, but I am in the planning phase and have no idea when I might finish it.

1. What would the fireball look like?

2. By 'out of the way', do you mean the safe would end up far away from the rest of the remains?

3. Do you think the iron be blackened, or reddened, or affected in any way by the explosion?

4. Sorry if I offended anyone by asking if you really pray to Satan. It's written in the newbie FAQ. Though I am curious as to whether to take the claims seriously or not, your personal affairs aren't my business.

Sincerely,

Castler


PS - As for learning the trade, I quite appreciate roguery, and have briefly explored lockpicking, fences, Ninpo Taijutsu, and other things; but sadly I have never been much of a scientist.

[nbk2000]

You guys don't really pray to Satan, do you?


I don't know about the rest of the Forumites but, since I wrote the rules and I do pray to Satan, I felt entitled to include that. :)

I'm everyone's worst nightmare...a Satan worshipping, pyromaniac, ex-con. :p

Also, what would be the point behind the explosion? To destroy evidence, to kill someone, what? Without context, the answer would be meaningless.

Also, as previously mentioned, it sounds like you're just here to use us as a technical consultant to answer a question about a plot device you're planning on using, not to learn the craft. Unless your Tom Clancy ;), we could give a rats ass less about getting credit in a some no-namers novel. :p

Pay someone to answer your questions because we're not a free writers resource. There's a nice series of books for that very purpose, and you'd be well served to buy the relevant one. Search amazon for it and, no, I'm not telling you what they're called either. SEARCH!

[Castler]

Ah, well, thanks anyway. Feel free to delete my name from the members.

[nbk2000]

Dum dum dum...another one bites the dust. :)

Another day, another sacrifice to feed the ever hungry maw of the Dark Lord HED.