Don’t forget about safety at the end of the year; shared from Sohu (Truck carrying calcium carbide speeds ahead and catches fire)

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A truck carrying calcium carbide was racing down the road, setting it on fire; witnesses were shocked by the sight (photos). Source: Zhejiang Online, December 16, 2009, 02:22. Let me say a few words (6). Copy link. Large, medium, small. Video footage: Reporters captured images of the burning road in Hangzhou; the semi-truck was reduced to scrap metal. Jiangnan Avenue in Hangzhou was covered in flames; the burning road resembled a boiling river. A 30-meter-long trailer spread “flames” along the road; it took 13 hours for the situation on Jiangnan Avenue to be brought under control. 20 tons of calcium carbide caught fire violently when exposed to rain, prompting firefighters to send 6 trucks to the scene to extinguish the fire. According to Zhejiang Online on December 16, water can be used to put out fires, but the rain yesterday acted like “oil” in this fire. Around 2:50 a.m. yesterday, a trailer loaded with 20 tons of calcium carbide caught fire at the Xincheng intersection on Jiangnan Avenue in Binjiang District. Black smoke rose into the air like mushrooms, and explosions could be heard from the scene from time to time. It was the rain from yesterday that caused the calcium carbide to catch fire; when in contact with water, calcium carbide decomposes and burns, leading to an explosion. And the rain continued to fall yesterday, preventing the fire scene from being dealt with. 　　The section of Jiangnan Avenue from Xincheng Intersection to Times Avenue has had to be closed, forcing buses on Route 6 to take detours; as a result, many people who tried to get to work on time arrived late. 　　The large trailer keeps moving forward, spreading its “seeds” along the way. It’s a little after 8 a.m., during the peak commuting hour in Binjiang District. The section from Xincheng Intersection on Jiangnan Avenue to Shidai Avenue is closed, forcing many vehicles to take detours via Binaan Road and Wentao Road. 　　The burning truck was parked on Jiangnan Avenue, over 30 meters long. The vehicle was filled with ashes, and from the top of those ashes, black smoke was coming out, emitting a pungent smell. The large trailer was reduced to its frame; the tires were gone, leaving only the wheel hubs ； The car windows were gone, and it was completely dark around the front of the car. 　　The bicycle lanes and the lawns along the roads were covered with a thick layer of dry powder; it was as if there had been a heavy snowfall, and stepping on it made a crunching sound. 　　A total of 4 tons of dry powder were used from the start of the fire until it was initially brought under control. Color steel plates were placed around the large trailer. The busy firefighter said, “Calcium carbide falls to the ground; it won’t burn without water. Covering it with colored steel plates is the simplest method.” ” 　　In the distance, on Jiangnan Avenue, there were piles of calcium carbide burning; the rain only made the fire burn more intensely, creating the appearance of a long dragon of fire. 　　According to people on the scene, the first open flame was found under Times Avenue; a large truck was traveling from east to west on Jiangnan Avenue, spreading sparks along the way. 　　The rain kept falling, and the calcium carbide continued to burn. Lao Liang, the instructor from the Puyan squad of the Hangzhou Binjiang Fire Brigade, said that they received the call at 2:54 a.m., and 6 fire trucks were sent to the scene. Upon arriving at the scene, the large truck was parked on the road; calcium carbide was burning, the fire was intense, and the driver was very agitated. 　　The driver’s surname is Zhang; he has been driving for quite some time, but this was his first time transporting calcium carbide. The load of calcium carbide was to be delivered to Hangzhou Electrochemical Group Co., Ltd. located in Binjiang Puyan. The driver claimed that he had covered it with six or seven layers of tarpaulin, and didn’t understand how it could still catch fire. And after realizing it would catch fire, he made sure to avoid the gas station located under the Four Bridges intersection. 　　The fire department immediately contacted Hangzhou Electrochemical Group Co., Ltd. At 4:11 a.m., a responsible official from Hangzhou Electrochemical Group rushed to the scene. He said that the calcium carbide was purchased from Henan and weighed about 20 tons. When shipped, calcium carbide is packaged in bags and covered with tarpaulins. The person in charge also found on the scene the bags used to pack calcium carbide; the bags had several layers, but they had all been blown apart. 　　“Probably during transportation, the tarpaulin was blown open a little or a gap appeared, allowing rainwater to get in; the calcium carbide then decomposed and caught fire when it came into contact with water. ”A senior official from the Electrochemical Group, who is well-versed in the properties of calcium carbide, said, “Although the fire outside has been extinguished and everything is now ash, burning still continues inside, because calcium carbide has very reactive chemical properties and reacts violently with water.” ”He pointed to the stones on the ground and told the reporters that when it was shipped, calcium carbide came in the form of irregular small stones; upon contact with water, it decomposed and took on its current form. 　　The forklift was surrounded by the fire on several occasions. The fire was temporarily brought under control, but looking at the piles of calcium carbide that were still reacting violently, no one dared to take any rash actions. 　　After discussing the matter with the fire department and the Electrochemical Group, it was decided to transport the calcium carbide to the Electrochemical Group’s factory for processing. Just as the forklifts and transport vehicles were all in place ready to begin the transportation, another accident occurred — a forklift was about to lift material from the calcium carbide pile when, suddenly, there was a loud explosion, followed immediately by fierce flames and thick smoke. Everyone at the scene was scared. Fortunately, the loader driver remained calm and managed to drive the burning loader a few meters away from the calcium carbide pile, pouring the calcium carbide in the bucket onto the road. 　　The person in charge of the Electrochemical Group kept shaking his head: “No, it’s not possible. It’s too dangerous. Once it’s installed in the vehicle, the metal plates inside the vehicle will melt, and the oil pipes could even catch fire.” ” 　　The first proposal was rejected on the spot. What should I do? Based on the characteristics of calcium carbide, there are only two other options: either build a shelter in place to prevent rainwater from entering ； Either use a forklift to transport it to a wasteland not far away. In the end, the latter option was chosen. 　　To the east of Xincheng Road and to the north of Jiangnan Avenue, there is exactly a piece of undeveloped land. The Electrification Group sent several dump trucks to transport calcium carbide to the wasteland, load by load. An employee who works nearby said, “Every time the burning calcium carbide is picked up, it causes another fire as the calcium carbide at the bottom comes into contact with water.” Working as a driver is truly extremely dangerous; on several occasions, fires surrounded most of the excavators. A salute to these drivers. ” 　　By 4:30 p.m., the site had been cleared and Jiangnan Avenue was reopened to traffic. The calcium carbide still burning in the wasteland is monitored 24/7 by staff from the Electrochemical Group until it has completely burned out. According to the person in charge of the Electrochemical Group, this truckload of calcium carbide was worth over 100,000 yuan, and now it has all been reduced to ashes. 　　Calcium carbide is piled up in a nearby wasteland, and some residents are worried about potential pollution. Yesterday, departments such as environmental protection and work safety supervision in Binjiang District went to the site to inspect, and it was found that the emissions from combustion would not have a significant impact on the environment. 　　Six bus routes were rerouted; many people arrived late to work. Due to this pile of calcium carbide, six bus routes passing through this area yesterday had to be rerouted. These routes are 402, 317, B Branch 3, 315, 322, and B Branch 6. The rerouting began at 6:30 a.m. and lasted until 4:30 p.m., when normal service was resumed. As a result, many commuters who rely on these buses were late for work. 　　Jiangnan Avenue is closed, so many vehicles take Binan Road as an alternative. Yesterday, Binan Road became the main road in Binjiang. “I walk along Binan Road every day; I usually enjoy driving on this road where there are no cars. Today, I was really puzzled – why has this road become a main road? I see. ”A friend said. 　　Netizen “reetony” lives in the Modern Impression residential complex, and his experience is even funnier: I came out in front of the Ramada hotel in the morning, turned onto Jiangnan Avenue, and it was a flat stretch of road, which was very pleasant. As soon as I started, I saw a police officer waving at me; I was so scared, thinking I was going to get fined, and I was very nervous. Looking at the gestures, I didn’t fully understand them, so I slowly pulled over at the intersection and waited to be given a penalty. Seeing that I wasn’t moving, the police officer came over and said something. Due to nervousness and continued gloom, I opened the car window. The police told me to turn right; the road is closed here. I turned my head and saw the frame of the vehicle, along with thick smoke… Further reading: Why does calcium carbide catch fire when it comes into contact with water? What exactly is calcium carbide? Why was it so difficult to control that fire yesterday? 　　Calcium carbide, whose scientific name is CaC2, is produced by heating quicklime and coke in an electric furnace to 2000°C; it is commonly used in old-style mines. 　　Calcium carbide has highly reactive chemical properties; it undergoes a vigorous chemical reaction when it comes into contact with water, producing acetylene gas and calcium hydroxide, along with a large amount of heat. So, water cannot extinguish this fire; its role in it is to aid the burning! 　　In the event of a fire involving calcium carbide, it can usually be extinguished by covering and isolating the area using phosphate dry powder, dry sand, and cement. But yesterday, due to the heavy rain at the site, these three substances could not function properly, so they had to be burned to completion right there. 　　There is a type of lamp called a \"calcium carbide lamp\". The principle is that calcium carbide reacts with water to produce acetylene, which is then ignited