Little General Store Propane Explosion - US Chemical Safety and ...

Little General Store September 2008
Guidance for emergency responders in hazardous materials emergencies recommends evacuating and
evaluating the situation from a safe distance as the first task. However, the IC’s final direction, to ensure
that everyone was out of the building, came too late. Within about 30 seconds of the order, the propane
ignited and the building exploded.
Based on witness statements and the IC’s known actions, the CSB determined that the IC allowed the
propane service technician to try to correct the propane release while the IC managed the scene.
However, the IC was likely unaware of two critical facts:
• The junior technician, upon whom the IC was relying to correct the release, was neither trained
nor experienced in propane transfer operations and propane emergencies (Section 5.3).
• The building was filling with a flammable mixture of propane and air. While the IC was
concerned with ignition sources outside such as cigarettes and vehicles, ignition sources inside
the building remained uncontrolled during the release.
Without knowledge of these facts, the IC was likely unable to fully understand the severity of the
emergency at Little General, even though he was fully trained in accordance with the rules of the West
Virginia Fire Commission.
5.4.1 Hazardous Materials Incident Training for Firefighters
West Virginia requires all firefighters to receive basic training in hazardous materials incident response.
This training is required prior to working as a firefighter and therefore is generally conducted only once,
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