mrtnira
July 28th, 2007, 01:56 PM
Unfortunately, a guy who did his own fireworks for years made a mistake and it cost him his house, and maybe time in jail. Article and continuing reporting with photographs at news link. Please be careful.
http://www.wtopnews.com/?sid=1189767&nid=25
Initial report follows:
Explosion Rips Apart Centreville Garage
July 16, 2007 - 11:56am
CENTREVILLE, Va. - An explosion in a garage in a northern Virginia home Sunday has been ruled accidental.
"The cause was accidental, the result of a grinding operation that was taking place in the garage," Capt. Chris Schaff, a spokesman for the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, tells WTOP. "Sparks flew off and landed in a box containing explosive material."
Bomb experts Monday have been removing and categorizing chemicals from a detached shed at the home on Portage Place. The Department of Defense will destroy any explosive materials while a hazardous materials contractor will get rid of the non-explosives, Schaff says.
Nobody was hurt in the explosion, which occurred before 1 p.m., or in the subsequent fire, which spread to the home. The fire was not completely extinguished until about 5:30 p.m., Schaff said.
Mike Campbell, a spokesman for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said flash powder, which is used in fireworks, was found among the chemicals in the garage.
"It just appears he may have been wanting to make his own homemade fireworks," Campbell said on Sunday. "This is what happens when you do that."
But on Monday, Schaff said, "We have not determined what these chemicals were being used for. That they were being used for fireworks has not been determined yet."
Schaff said there were a variety of dangerous chemicals, including fertilizer, stored in the garage and in a detached shed behind the house. He said local officials asked both ATF and the FBI to assist because of the nature of the chemicals.
Firefighters evacuated two adults and two teenagers from the home.
In addition to the home where the fire occurred, four other homes were evacuated after the explosion. Those homes will remain evacuated until the investigation is finished,
Schaff said authorities had interviewed the man involved, but that no charges against him had been filed.
A few hours after the explosion, a large hole could be seen in the home's two-car garage where firefighters had to punch in the wall. The side of the garage was gutted.
Neighbors said the family who lives in the home had been residents since the development was built about 12 years ago. Jeff Reynolds, 47, described them as good neighbors and said the man was handy around the house. He said they had recently redone their yard, which could explain the presence of the fertilizer.
There were a variety of chemicals stored in the garage. (Photo courtesy of Brad Simons)
CENTREVILLE, Va. - An explosion in a garage in a northern Virginia home Sunday has been ruled accidental.
"The cause was accidental, the result of a grinding operation that was taking place in the garage," Capt. Chris Schaff, a spokesman for the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, tells WTOP. "Sparks flew off and landed in a box containing explosive material."
Bomb experts Monday have been removing and categorizing chemicals from a detached shed at the home on Portage Place. The Department of Defense will destroy any explosive materials while a hazardous materials contractor will get rid of the non-explosives, Schaff says.
Nobody was hurt in the explosion, which occurred before 1 p.m., or in the subsequent fire, which spread to the home. The fire was not completely extinguished until about 5:30 p.m., Schaff said.
Mike Campbell, a spokesman for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said flash powder, which is used in fireworks, was found among the chemicals in the garage.
"It just appears he may have been wanting to make his own homemade fireworks," Campbell said on Sunday. "This is what happens when you do that."
But on Monday, Schaff said, "We have not determined what these chemicals were being used for. That they were being used for fireworks has not been determined yet."
Schaff said there were a variety of dangerous chemicals, including fertilizer, stored in the garage and in a detached shed behind the house. He said local officials asked both ATF and the FBI to assist because of the nature of the chemicals.
Firefighters evacuated two adults and two teenagers from the home.
In addition to the home where the fire occurred, four other homes were evacuated after the explosion. Those homes will remain evacuated until the investigation is finished,
Schaff said authorities had interviewed the man involved, but that no charges against him had been filed.
A few hours after the explosion, a large hole could be seen in the home's two-car garage where firefighters had to punch in the wall. The side of the garage was gutted.
Neighbors said the family who lives in the home had been residents since the development was built about 12 years ago. Jeff Reynolds, 47, described them as good neighbors and said the man was handy around the house. He said they had recently redone their yard, which could explain the presence of the fertilizer.
http://www.wtopnews.com/?sid=1189767&nid=25
Initial report follows:
Explosion Rips Apart Centreville Garage
July 16, 2007 - 11:56am
CENTREVILLE, Va. - An explosion in a garage in a northern Virginia home Sunday has been ruled accidental.
"The cause was accidental, the result of a grinding operation that was taking place in the garage," Capt. Chris Schaff, a spokesman for the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, tells WTOP. "Sparks flew off and landed in a box containing explosive material."
Bomb experts Monday have been removing and categorizing chemicals from a detached shed at the home on Portage Place. The Department of Defense will destroy any explosive materials while a hazardous materials contractor will get rid of the non-explosives, Schaff says.
Nobody was hurt in the explosion, which occurred before 1 p.m., or in the subsequent fire, which spread to the home. The fire was not completely extinguished until about 5:30 p.m., Schaff said.
Mike Campbell, a spokesman for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said flash powder, which is used in fireworks, was found among the chemicals in the garage.
"It just appears he may have been wanting to make his own homemade fireworks," Campbell said on Sunday. "This is what happens when you do that."
But on Monday, Schaff said, "We have not determined what these chemicals were being used for. That they were being used for fireworks has not been determined yet."
Schaff said there were a variety of dangerous chemicals, including fertilizer, stored in the garage and in a detached shed behind the house. He said local officials asked both ATF and the FBI to assist because of the nature of the chemicals.
Firefighters evacuated two adults and two teenagers from the home.
In addition to the home where the fire occurred, four other homes were evacuated after the explosion. Those homes will remain evacuated until the investigation is finished,
Schaff said authorities had interviewed the man involved, but that no charges against him had been filed.
A few hours after the explosion, a large hole could be seen in the home's two-car garage where firefighters had to punch in the wall. The side of the garage was gutted.
Neighbors said the family who lives in the home had been residents since the development was built about 12 years ago. Jeff Reynolds, 47, described them as good neighbors and said the man was handy around the house. He said they had recently redone their yard, which could explain the presence of the fertilizer.
There were a variety of chemicals stored in the garage. (Photo courtesy of Brad Simons)
CENTREVILLE, Va. - An explosion in a garage in a northern Virginia home Sunday has been ruled accidental.
"The cause was accidental, the result of a grinding operation that was taking place in the garage," Capt. Chris Schaff, a spokesman for the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, tells WTOP. "Sparks flew off and landed in a box containing explosive material."
Bomb experts Monday have been removing and categorizing chemicals from a detached shed at the home on Portage Place. The Department of Defense will destroy any explosive materials while a hazardous materials contractor will get rid of the non-explosives, Schaff says.
Nobody was hurt in the explosion, which occurred before 1 p.m., or in the subsequent fire, which spread to the home. The fire was not completely extinguished until about 5:30 p.m., Schaff said.
Mike Campbell, a spokesman for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said flash powder, which is used in fireworks, was found among the chemicals in the garage.
"It just appears he may have been wanting to make his own homemade fireworks," Campbell said on Sunday. "This is what happens when you do that."
But on Monday, Schaff said, "We have not determined what these chemicals were being used for. That they were being used for fireworks has not been determined yet."
Schaff said there were a variety of dangerous chemicals, including fertilizer, stored in the garage and in a detached shed behind the house. He said local officials asked both ATF and the FBI to assist because of the nature of the chemicals.
Firefighters evacuated two adults and two teenagers from the home.
In addition to the home where the fire occurred, four other homes were evacuated after the explosion. Those homes will remain evacuated until the investigation is finished,
Schaff said authorities had interviewed the man involved, but that no charges against him had been filed.
A few hours after the explosion, a large hole could be seen in the home's two-car garage where firefighters had to punch in the wall. The side of the garage was gutted.
Neighbors said the family who lives in the home had been residents since the development was built about 12 years ago. Jeff Reynolds, 47, described them as good neighbors and said the man was handy around the house. He said they had recently redone their yard, which could explain the presence of the fertilizer.