Plum-Pottstown, PA Home Explosions

[Doodler3D]

A hot-water tank and leaking gas pipelines or abandoned wells?

Video:

Link

Identical incident last year:

Link

Link

 

[LittleInch]

That's some explosion. That looks more like propane. Pipeline or well it would still be burning after.

That's a gas cloud gone up.

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

 

[phamENG]

All the more reason to never move back into a neighborhood...

 

[debodine]

Or a meth house?

 

[davefitz]

One issue found in states that allow legalized marajuana is that some folks will use butane to extract hash oil from the buds, and butane leaks will fill the basement with explosive gas mixture.

Another issue can be the meth labs. Still another one that is more relevant to engineers is the use of manual bypasses around the pressure regulating valve at the city gates ,for cities that have natural gas. The insurance investigator would likely review the records of main pressure vs time prior to the incident.

"...when logic, and proportion, have fallen, sloppy dead..." Grace Slick

 

[LittleInch]

I think the links above though when saying a small leak in a gas pipeline nearby and the neighbours saying " there isn't a smell of gas anymore..." are more relevant.

Can't see a water heater casing that sort of a bang unless they filled it with propane...

Actually that second link is rather telling "AmeriGas confirmed that a propane tank is on the property, ...."

The homes apparently didn't have a natural gas supply.

But this was four kids and their granny by the look of it.

But are there two separate explosions or just one?



Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

 

[1503-44]

It doesn't look like a gas explosion to me. It's looks slower and the flame is not shaped right. Flames appear dense. Gas blows up in all directions. Lot of upward direction here. Maybe because the origen was in the basement?

Comparison?

https://youtu.be/a2JPLMzQjkk?si=TtrFEWlLYnuXNU_p

https://youtu.be/pWAui49J1mM?si=OViIcbKFRQvX5fRb

--Einstein gave the same test to students every year. When asked why he would do something like that, "Because the answers had changed."

 

[LittleInch]

Couldn't see it originally due to debris, but there seems to have been a substantial basement.

Don't know why or how they cam out and said it wasn't the gas supply when all indications are that it was. The follow up news reports show the gas company going round turning other homes back on.

Some shots of the now partially cleared basement.

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

 

[bones206]

I lived in this area briefly and I remember seeing fracking operations literally everywhere. In the middle of residential neighborhoods. Lot of gas deposits in the ground here. I seem to recall a news segment one night where someone was showing gas coming out of their faucet.

Nevermind - I was confusing with another town and thought this was in the greater Pittsburgh area. Actually closer to Philly so no idea about the fracking situation there in Pottstown.

 

[bones206]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LBjSXWQRV8&ab_channel=GasDrillingAwarenessCoalition

 

[1503-44]

They need a gas and water seperator in that plumbing system.

--Einstein gave the same test to students every year. When asked why he would do something like that, "Because the answers had changed."

 

[JLNJ]

That ring cam video is just devastating.