DSLRUsers.com

Just a heads up.. this is going to be a very long post... move along if you are on dialup or if my server stops responding.

A major chemical factory explosion occurred last night at approximately 2202. I left the incident at approximately 0315 and it was still out of control. Below is a list of appliances that have attended and are still on scene as a type this. I was not allowed to go anywhere near the factories due to the extremely toxic nature of the fire. So far only one firefighter has been transported to hospital.

MAJOR CHEMICAL FACTORY EXPLOSION
69 Magnesium Street, Narangba, Queensland.

Original Fire Call at 22:02 EST
Public Safety Preservation Act Invoked by Police Inspector.

2 Chemical Fertilizer Buildings well involved.
Major Incident Team set up at location.

In attendance currently (01:24 EST):

528A CABOOLTURE PUMP
528K CABOOLTURE EMERGENCY TENDER
528B CABOOLTURE AUXILLIARY PUMP
514A SANDGATE PUMPER
521A TAIGUM PUMPER
503W ANNERLEY FOAM TENDER
502J ROMA STREET TELESCOPIC AERIAL PLATFORM
501I KEMP PLACE LADDER PLATFORM
501T KEMP PLACE FIRE CONTROL UNIT
BO1 Operations Manager
BA1 Caboolture Area Director
526A REDCLIFFE PUMPER
525A PETRIE PUMPER
524A ARANA HILLS PUMPER
850O SPECIAL OPS BA HAZMAT
850L TECHNICAL RESCUE RESPONSE UNIT
Scientific 1 RACE UNIT
Q32
527A DECEPTION BAY PUMPER
527Y DECEPTION BAY IZONE
529Y BRIBIE ISLAND IZONE
527W DECEPTION BAY FOAM TRAILER
850P BA SUPPORT
2 Caboolture Shire Council Water Tankers
B1 Assistant Commissioner
BA2 Petrie Area Director
508A ENOGGERA PUMP (from standby at 25)
509A CAMP HILL PUMP (from standby at 26)
501H KEMP PLACE HYDRAULIC PLATFORM
645J IPSWICH TELESCOPIC AERIAL PLATFORM


SITREP 0049 EST
501T is Incident Control Vehicle
2 sectors set up.

1st building steel roof and walls 70 by 40 m well involved.
2nd building concrete walls and steel roof 60 by 40 m no exposures outside premises.

501 I Water Tower
501 H Water Tower
502 J Water Tower
654 J Water Tower

Mechanical failure on 514A mechanic required.

50-60 personnel on site.

01:18 EST
Additional 3 pumps required
508A from standy 25 Station
509A from standby 26 Station
529Y BRIBIE ISLAND IZONE LIGHT ATTACK for grassfire containment.

Here are some shots from where I was standing. Will followup with some more structure shots some time today. Sorry for the poor exposure in most of the shots... it was very difficult to expose the shots correctly.























Rest can be browsed here:

http://www.markcrossphotography.com/pic ... _chemfire/

FUNGOOL!

Great PJ as always Mark.

Hope all the guys out there get through unscathed.

I just saw an article on the fire at News.com.au which contained this fine piece of journalism....

The blaze in the factory, which manufactures weed killer and toxic fumes, forced police to evacuate some homes and close off some streets around it.

So, they manufacture toxic fumes do they??

Mark - great pics. Where do you put chemical factories In Magnesium Street of course

sirhc55 wrote:Mark - great pics. Where do you put chemical factories In Magnesium Street of course

 LOL!!

Alex

sirhc55 wrote:Mark - great pics. Where do you put chemical factories In Magnesium Street of course

No wonder why the flames are so bright

Great pics Mark. The illuminated fire crane is my pic

Love the shots with the pink glow in the smoke..really conveys the fact that it's a chemical fire.

Liam =]

thanks for all the comments.. much appreciated...

I was lucky enough to be granted permission by the Qld Police to go past the road block and take a couple of shots. I was advised that I had only 5 minutes to get the shots, and being a good law abiding citizen I got what I could in 4 minutes and 50 seconds. No amazing shots due to time restraits.. but a couple non the less... Unfortunately I could not get any other shots of the factory other than the one stitched panoramic I got. Will try again tomorrow depending on road closures.

















cheers

Fantastic photojourno work as always, Mark.