Homemade Fireworks Spark Explosion

[Little Texan]

Link

Homemade Fireworks Spark Explosion
By STEPHEN MANNING
Associated Press Writer

CENTREVILLE, Va. (AP) — A man who was apparently trying to make fireworks touched off an explosion in his garage and set his house aflame Sunday, authorities said. No one was hurt.

Flash powder, used in fireworks, was found among chemicals in the garage, said Mike Campbell, a spokesman for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

A side of the attached garage was gutted, but the house didn’t appear to be badly damaged.

“It just appears he may have been wanting to make his own homemade fireworks,” Campbell said. “This is what happens when you do that.”

Dangerous chemicals were stored in the garage and in a shed behind the house, said Capt. Chris Schaff, a spokesman for the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department. Local officials asked the ATF and FBI to assist because of the nature of the chemicals.

Two adults and two teenagers had to evacuate the home. Authorities were interviewing the man Sunday evening, and no charges had been brought.

[binnie]

Lucky that no one was hurt.

If you're going to do something like that, best to hire a workshop of something so you don't fuck up your own house!

[Little Texan]

Originally posted by binnie
If you're going to do something like that, best to hire a workshop of something so you don't fuck up your own house!

Or don't fuck around with HOMEMADE fireworks INSIDE your fucking garage!

[Nitro Express]

Years ago I worked for a proffessional fireworks company that manufactured and set off fireworks. The big motar shells. They are basically black powder based with different smaller pellets of black powder with chemicals added for colors and effect.

Black powder is classified as an explosive because static electricity can set it off! You should make sure your work area is well grounded and static proof and away from civilization. The chemicals and black poweder are locked away in special containers. Ours were actually in small bunkers with a few feet of dirt over them.

[VanHalener]

Oh God too funny.

That's just blocks away from me...

No shit, I never heard emergency vehicles yesterday, but they have a cop in front of the house and police line tape around the property right now.

I think I'll light some bottle rockets and missiles off and see if I can draw them down my street.

I think I'll go get some better pics for you...

[FORD]

Originally posted by Nitro Express
Years ago I worked for a proffessional fireworks company that manufactured and set off fireworks. The big motar shells. They are basically black powder based with different smaller pellets of black powder with chemicals added for colors and effect.

Black powder is classified as an explosive because static electricity can set it off! You should make sure your work area is well grounded and static proof and away from civilization. The chemicals and black poweder are locked away in special containers. Ours were actually in small bunkers with a few feet of dirt over them.

Yeah, I used to work for one of those companies myself. They stored all their explosives in old railroad cars that were a safe distance from the main warehouse building where the rest of the equipment for the fireworks shows was stored.

Haven't talked to those folks in a while, so I'm not sure if they changed their storage practices due to "terraist threats" or anything. But those boxcars were literally in the middle of nowhere, so even if the whole thing went up, I doubt there would be any casualties. Provided nobody was working in there at the time, that is.

[VanHalener]

Wow there are a lot of firemen and cops over there. They evacuated surrounding homes since the incident was "sparked" and it looks as though emergency and investigative units
will be there for a good while.

I made several mistakes on scene:

1. Spoke briefly with two reporters.

2. Had nothing of value to say; hence, I most likely looked a fool.

3.. Failed to wish the families and public servants well.

4. Failed to squeeze in a ROTH ARMY or a VAN HALEN


I'm working on the footage I took.
<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/iXhxEKGAgvY"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/iXhxEKGAgvY" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>

[Redballjets88]

Originally posted by vanhalener
Wow there are a lot of firemen and cops over there. They evacuated surrounding homes since the incident was "sparked" and it looks as though emergency and investigative units
will be there for a good while.

I made several mistakes on scene:

1. Spoke briefly with two reporters.

2. Had nothing of value to say; hence, I most likely looked a fool.

3.. Failed to wish the families and public servants well.

4. Failed to squeeze in a ROTH ARMY or a VAN HALEN


I'm working on the footage I took.
<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/iXhxEKGAgvY"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/iXhxEKGAgvY" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>

aaaaaanold

[VanHalener]

Alright, here's a little cheese with the photos a took. I had to throw in some personal campfire photos as filler so my man Eddie could finish his jam...


<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xcGLzlBxMEo"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xcGLzlBxMEo" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>

[Matt White]

NATURAL SELECTION