Incident Report Subject: Electrical Arc Flash Explosion in East Moline injures 2 men Date of Email report: Thu 03/11/2011 Report Detail:
One of two men seriously injured Friday in a flash fire in East Moline is being credited with preventing the scene from becoming much worse An electrical panel at a generating station in rural East Moline erupted Friday morning in a flash fire, causing “significant injuries” to two unidentified men who were working on it. The generators are fueled by an underground supply of methane gas, which is a product of the nearby landfill, said Chief Mat Schnepple of the Barstow Fire Protection District. In addition to the highly volatile methane gas and the presence of fire, magnesium also is present in the area, which means water cannot be used in firefighting efforts. “One of the men was able to get to a fire extinguisher, and he also got to the man who was hurt worse and got him out of the area,” Schnepple said. “He also managed to get to the cut-off and stop the flow of gas. We have a civilian hero out of the deal, for sure.” He said Barstow firefighters, who were assisted by others from East Moline, used about two dozen fire extinguishers to contain and ultimately knock down the fires that broke out in various areas of the enclosure. “We were in a small area that was very, very hot and enclosed in metal, and we had firefighters in there,” the chief said. “We were at the scene for upwards of four hours. Fortunately, we were able to locate doors and ventilate the enclosures. “There was absolutely a greater risk for explosion here. It was a very, very hot electrical fire.” He said the workers suffered burns to about 20 percent of their bodies. “One gentleman was in worse shape than the other,” he said. East Moline Fire Capt. Bruce Colmer said the emergency call initially came out as two people being electrocuted. He said the men were transported to Genesis Medical Center-Illini Campus, Silvis, which does not have a burn unit. The victims were then transported to University Hospitals, Iowa City, for treatment, officials said. The address of the generating station is 17325 20th Ave. N. Additional Documentation: |
