Slow motion of tank farm explosion in Lamesa, Texas. Photographer provides way for fire service to get copies of the video.
Click here and then scroll down for the latest fire and EMS news from STATter911.com
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qcrwNM74sg&hl=en&fs=1]
Watch original version (regular speed)
This is another posting of the explosion Thursday in a Lamesa, Texas tank farm by the photographer who shot the video. Storm chaser David Drummond made this slow motion version. I highly recommend watching it in HQ.
The image below is of the first tank breaking away at its bottom and taking off like a rocket ship. Its contents dump out underneath. The fuel immediately ignites.
The second tank then breaks away at the top. In the video you can watch its lid spin and twist through the air and land on the ground to the right of the screen. As Drummond widens out you can also see where the crumpled first tank landed. This is pretty amazing video, especially considering the only injury is to a firefighter who hurt his ankle trying to escape the fireball.
From the time the relief valve popped creating the blow torch, it is just three seconds more before the first tank lifts off. Five seconds after that the top breaks away on the second tank. The top flies through the air and rolls across the ground for a total of 10 seconds. Scary stuff.
David Drummond reports his car may be totaled by the large piece of debris that hit the vehicle. There was more damage than originally believed.
Drummond is being kind enough to offer copies of his spectacular video to members of the fire service. Here’s what he wrote on his website, In the Vortex:
I have received some requests from various fire personnel from all over asking for a copy of the video for training. I am going to be putting this on a DVD for that very purpose. I will be happy to freely give one to any official fire department that wants it for training purposes. All I as is that you either contact me through email from an official government email address, or you can email me and get my mailing address and send me a request on department letterhead. I have over an hour of video of this fire.
