Fire on a Hydrogen Tanker
H2 Tanker Ignites in California - Compressed hydrogen gas inside a tanker truck caught fire sending a hissing flame as high as 60 feet into the air and forcing the evacuation of a one-mile stretch of Airport Drive, Ontario, California. It was estimated that the tanker burned off about 32,000 cubic feet of hydrogen (ca. 75 kg) over a 2.5-hour period before the flame was extinguished. The tanker contained about 100,000 cubic feet (ca. 230 kg) in 10 separate tubes. Firefighters climbed on the tanker truck during the incident to shut off the other nine tubes so their contents would not burn off as well.
Event Date
May 17, 2003
Record Quality Indicator
Region / Country
Event Initiating System
Classification of the Physical Effects
Nature of the Consequences
Causes
Cause Comments
Unknown
Facility Information
Application Type
Application
Specific Application Supply Chain Stage
Components Involved
Tanker containing 100,000 cubic feet (ca. 230 kg) in 10 separate tube
Storage/Process Medium
Location Type
Location description
Unknown
Operational Condition
Pre-event Summary
Unknown
Event Nature
Emergency Action
Firefighters climbed on the tanker truck during the incident to shut off the other nine tubes so their contents would not burn off as well.
Release Type
Release Substance
Hydrogen Release Concentration (%)
100.00
Release Duration (s)
9000
Release Amount (kg)
75.00
Ignition Source
Detonation
No
Deflagration
No
High Pressure Explosion
No
High Voltage Explosion
No
Flame Type
Source Category
References
References
Source lost