A fire erupted from a tanker truck delivering liquid hydrogen to a factory. The ignition of leaking vapors created a plume of flames that rose dozens of feet into the air. The flames receded within seconds, leaving the truck with little damage and its driver unharmed.
The truck was off-loading hydrogen into a tank behind the plant when the incident occurred. The plant reported no delays in its production. It uses the hydrogen in various processes.
On site personnel reported that hydrogen vapors released through a vent in the tank somehow ignited. The driver sealed off the vent within seconds and stopped the blaze. Fire officials and the two companies are now trying to determine what sparked the vapors. The safety equipment in place prevented the fire from spreading into the tanks. Neither the truck nor the storage tanks were in jeopardy of exploding.
No Lessons Learned, Specific Suggestions for Avoidance, or Mitigation Steps Taken.