Rail Tank Car Incident in Kingman, AZ (Lessons Learned)

Lessons learned from this event:

• BLEVEs can be caused by an external fire near the storage vessel causing heating of the contents and pressure build-up. While tanks are often designed to withstand great pressure, constant heating can cause the metal to weaken and eventually fail. If the tank is being heated in an area where there is no liquid, it may rupture faster without the liquid to absorb the heat. Gas containers are usually equipped with relief valves that vent off excess pressure, but the tank can still fail if the pressure is not released quickly enough. If the substance involved is flammable, it is likely that the resulting cloud of the substance will ignite after the BLEVE has occurred.
• Using today’s training and resources, like the Emergency Response Guide Book (ERG), you would find that a container of this size involved in fire would require an evacuation of 1 mile