Semi-trailer powered by natural gas explodes - 9 firefighters injured
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Nine Los Angeles firefighters were injured when a semi-truck fueled by natural gas caught fire and exploded in Wilmington early Thursday, reports the LA Times.
The explosion sent flames 9 feet high into the air and the noise shook the neighborhood.
According to fire officials, 10 firefighters responded to a vehicle fire just before 7 a.m. Six minutes after they arrived, while trying to suppress the fire, a 100 gallon / 380 liter compressed natural gas exploded.
The semi was an unusual vehicle in that it was not diesel powered. It was powered by two 100-gallon tanks of compressed natural gas mounted on either side of the truck. The tanks were pressurized to 3,300 pounds. When one of the tanks exploded, the pressure wave was significant, according to Erik Scott of the L.A. Fire Department.
Video footage from the scene showed the blackened truck next to the railroad tracks and debris scattered across the road.
Nine firefighters were taken to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. Two of them were still in critical condition Thursday afternoon. One of the firefighters in critical condition was transferred to Los Angeles General Medical Center, which operates one of three specialized burn centers in the city, the hospital said.
Photo credit: Screenshot from KTLA.com news report on YouTube
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