A new look at the explosions of two hydrogen tanks on the airport grounds Thursday reaffirms what officials have been saying; that this incident could have been much worse.
Two people were injured in the blasts that occurred at 12:48 p.m. A 61 year-old man involved in actually swapping out the two hydrogen fuel tanks suffered second degree burns and remains in satisfactory condition at Strong Memorial Hospital. Another woman working at the Burger King drive-thru window across the street from the blast was treated for minor ear pain.
The new video released by county officials is captured by a nearby airport security camera. It shows in the upper lefthand portion of the frame a puff of white smoke that represents the first explosion according to officials.
Then, a second blast rattles the camera and nearby structures; flames and smoke are suddenly visibile in the rear of the tanks. Work crews nearby can be seen quickly moving their vehicles away from the area.
Friday morning, Praxair crews were on the scene surveying their tanks and beginning the process of emptying those tanks of the remaining hydrogen gas. Upwards of 2,500 pounds of compressed gas remained in the tanks and it was slowly released through a small hose.
"The product will rapidly dissipate into the air," said Sam DeRosa, Monroe County's Fire Coordinator, of the operation. It's lighter than air, it's about 0.7 as far as density is concerned, which means it will readily dissipate into the air."
New York State Department of Transportation officials required the tanks be emptied of all gas before they are moved onto new tractor trailers and transported on the open road.
A Praxair spokeswoman said the company will take the tanks to its Niagara Falls facility where the forensic investigation into what happened will continue.
A preliminary investigation conducted by Monroe County Fire Officials and Praxair is giving a lot of credit to a one-inch thick steel plate that separates the hydrogen tanks from the manifolds nearby.
That plate and other safety features on the trailers prevented potentially much more serious, and subsequent, explosions according to fire officials.
"That steel plate helped immensely, as did the construction and the design of those trailers," DeRosa said. "They're actually made to do that. They're made to withstand fire damage and after a very detailed and thorough inspection throughout the night by the county fire investigators and the Praxair folks, there is no damage, no compromise to any of those cylinders."
Praxair safely emptied the tanks of the compressed hydrogen by Friday afternoon and large cranes arrive at Monroe County's fueling station to move each of the tanks onto new flatbed trailers for transport. Fire and Haz-Mat crews remained nearby during the process incase any additional hazard presented itself.
