Case Spotlight: Massive Propane Explosion

At 12:15 a.m. in a small Utah community, a wave of emergency calls overwhelmed the dispatch center reporting a massive explosion. Reports came from as far as 20 miles from the blast location.

The explosion occurred at an industrial park, leveling one building and damaging 11 others, including nearby homes. Debris was dispersed over a half-mile radius. Fires burned for six hours after the blast as fire crews fought to gain control. Thankfully, and miraculously, no one was injured.

A local investigators discovered the blast was due to leaky tanks on a propane truck, which was parked inside a shop building. Approximately 450 gallons of liquid propane escaped and mixed with the air creating the ignitable mixture. They identified 6 possible ignition sources.

Knott Laboratory was contacted shortly after to evaluate the extent of structural damage to the area buildings and determine what was salvageable. Between the explosion and subsequent fire, there was extensive damage to the steel-framed buildings throughout the industrial park. Our engineers carefully evaluated each building and developed shoring plans to stabilize the structures. This enabled owners and crews to safely enter the buildings while we assisted in moving forward with reconstruction.

Photo: Deseret News