17 December 2012

Barton bin fire leads to evacuation

| johnboy
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ACT Fire & Rescue has extinguished a fire in an indoor garbage bin at an office building on National Circuit, Barton.

Approximately 400 people have been evacuated as a precaution.

Crews are now conducting ventilation and atmospheric monitoring operations.

Two fire pumpers on scene with the Hazardous Materials Unit and a Command Vehicle.

1:17 PM

Building has heavy smoke logging.

Minimal damage.

Crews are continuing with ventilation operations.

1:24 PM

ACT Fire & Rescue crews will leave the scene shortly.

Occupants are now permitted to return to the building.

Fire cause determination will be undertaken.

1:54 PM

[Courtesy ESA]

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johnboy said :

Anyone want to bet against a cigarette ?

Spontaneous combustion.

neanderthalsis5:19 pm 17 Dec 12

My lunchtime perambulation took me past said building as the alarms were sounding. there are still construction crews working on the site doing internal work and the landscaping, it it may have been related to the internal fitout work.

johnboy said :

Anyone want to bet against a cigarette ?

Indoor garbage bin? Oh hell no! My crackpot theory is that it was the result of someone using potassium permanganate for their smelly, cracked feet and then chucking it in the bin when they put their shoes on whilst simultaneously someone with a cut was using iodine to clean a cut and when they finished they too threw their stuff in the bin. Chemical reaction occurs and bin is on fire.

This is how it could have happened maybe……. or it was an inattentive contractor not looking where grinding sparks go, either-either……..

johnboy said :

Anyone want to bet against a cigarette ?

I’ll go oxidative phosphorylation.

Anyone want to bet against a cigarette ?

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