Molten Metal Spill Causes Trailer Fire...........

A volunteer fire department was dispatched to a semi-trailer fire next to the a foundry early Friday morning in the United States. A semi-trailer backed up to a loading dock on the south side of the building was engulfed in flames. Foundry employees closed an overhead door between the building and the trailer, which kept the fire from igniting the building. The fire was caused when an employee was releasing molten aluminum from a vat into a transporting container. Because the valve was difficult to close, hot, molten aluminum flowed from the floor into the trailer. The molten aluminum started the trailer on fire.

The hot molten aluminum, when water is applied, gives off a toxic ammonia gas, which caused the foundry to be evacuated. Due to the small extent of the fire, no other residents in the area were evacuated. A “spotter” truck from along with a tow truck were used to move another trailer and the destroyed trailer away from building and removed the scrap aluminum from the trailer. The 40 firefighters were on scene approximately three hours to control and extinguish the fire.

The APSB was surprised to read that the potential of ammonia gas versus a molten aluminium steam explosion would cause the foundry to evacuate. Please comment.