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

Little General Store September 2008
located 25 to 30 feet away. The firefighters called for the nearest hazardous materials response team to
assist them in using thermal imaging to determine how much propane remained in the tanks. The incident
tank was empty; no other tanks released. The chicken house was destroyed. All three propane service
technicians were severely burned; one died in hospital.
2.2.2 Incident Responders
The volunteer firefighters in Danville are all trained using the Propane Emergencies curriculum, which is
offered through the state fire college as a two-day program. The fire chief requires that they complete the
program twice before responding to propane incidents. This training includes practice on controlled
propane releases and fires, and allows the fire department to mitigate propane emergencies without
relying on propane companies. If firefighters cannot contain a release, they may let propane service
technicians work on the tank, but only if no fire is involved and the area has been secured.
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