Earlier this afternoon (April 3, 2012) at approximately 2:20 pm, Forest Grove Firefighters responded to a report of an explosion in the west part of Forest Grove after neighbors in the 400 block of Willamina Avenue called to report that an explosion loud enough to rattle windows had occurred and that they could see black smoke coming from a barn on Reuter Lane and Willamina Avenue. When firefighters arrived they found a farm worker lying in the farm driveway and a small fire burning on the ground near him. While Paramedics from Forest Grove Fire & Rescue treated the injured man another crew was able to quickly control the small fire which they found burning around a crumpled metal 55 gallon drum.
According to the other farm employees the worker was using a cutting torch to cut apart the drum when it suddenly exploded. They reported that the man remained standing throughout the incident but that initially the injured worker had fire burning on his clothing. He was able to use the basic fire safety skill of "STOP DROP & ROLL" to put the flames out and that's when firefighters arrived to find him on the ground. Even though the explosion created enough heat to melt glass barn windows and scorch the cinder block wall the injured man remained conscious and alert and talked to our crews. The injured man was transported by Metro West Ambulance to the Trauma Center at Legacy Emmanuel Hospital in Portland. Fire Investigators believe that the metal drum had contained diesel at one point , and that even though it was thought to be empty, enough diesel fuel and vapors remained to cause the explosion. Unfortunately, this type of accident, where an explosion happens from using a cutting torch on a drum or container, is more common than it should be. It’s important that you consult a safety professional or hazardous material clean up company before completing this type of work. You should never under any circumstances attempt to cut on a container that has potentially contained hazardous materials or flammable liquids.
According to the other farm employees the worker was using a cutting torch to cut apart the drum when it suddenly exploded. They reported that the man remained standing throughout the incident but that initially the injured worker had fire burning on his clothing. He was able to use the basic fire safety skill of "STOP DROP & ROLL" to put the flames out and that's when firefighters arrived to find him on the ground. Even though the explosion created enough heat to melt glass barn windows and scorch the cinder block wall the injured man remained conscious and alert and talked to our crews. The injured man was transported by Metro West Ambulance to the Trauma Center at Legacy Emmanuel Hospital in Portland. Fire Investigators believe that the metal drum had contained diesel at one point , and that even though it was thought to be empty, enough diesel fuel and vapors remained to cause the explosion. Unfortunately, this type of accident, where an explosion happens from using a cutting torch on a drum or container, is more common than it should be. It’s important that you consult a safety professional or hazardous material clean up company before completing this type of work. You should never under any circumstances attempt to cut on a container that has potentially contained hazardous materials or flammable liquids.
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