Page 7 - Potential Fire News Today

Firefighters respond to a call at the national magnesium and aluminum foundry. >> weve got heavy smoke coming from the entire building. >> the fire department knows its in for a long night, but it has no idea that a massive explosion is developing. >> anytime you get a fire, a potential fire, at a magnesium plant, that causes a lot more concern because you know thats going to be a tough situation to deal with. >> firefighters cant use water to put out the flames because magnesium is a highly fla...

Buildings and businesses across the street, just a few hundred feet away. >> the whole building shook. the whole building shook. you could definitely tell that something was not right. it definitely sounded like maybe a car had crashed through the building next door. >> the explosion ignites a huge fire at the foundry. >> theres this huge billowing black cloud of smoke. it was just amazing. >> we knew it was going to be a very big fire. it was a huge column of smoke, huge. >> we have flames shoo...

Matts camera. >> it shot out one of my filters in my camera. and then everything after i shot that video, it was all red. >> larry fisher is one of several firefighters injured in the blast. >> i was bleeding all down my face. i looked all bloody. of course, my helmet was off my head. but i thought -- my initial thought was that i was burned. >> fortunately, no employees are inside the foundry when the fire erupts. the fire department believes its nothing short of a miracle that no one is killed...

>> seconds later, the car that passes them explodes. >> it felt like the bomb came from underneath the floorboards. i said to myself, i cant believe were about to die. i said, i -- i was just angry, and i was just incredulous, so to speak. and the tree that we were underneath was on fire. >> but the attack isnt over. and the biggest explosion is yet to come. manning a machine gun at the checkpoint is specialist darrell green. >> at that time, they -- the cement mixer was trying to come through o...

The early stage, hopefully you can knock it and you can control it. this time we werent that lucky. >> luck is nowhere to be found. the fire department doesnt have enough extinguishing powder on hand to control the flames. as it burns out of control, the order is given to pull back. >> my gut said get away from the building, somethings going to happen. >> but before everyone clears out -- >> the smoke began to suck in, which is an indication the fire was drawing for oxygen. and i had enough time...

Would have been not good at all. >> its so bright, it damages matts camera. >> it shot out one of my filters in my camera. and then everything after i shot that video, it was all red. >> larry fisher is one of several firefighters injured in the blast. >> i was bleeding all down my face. i looked all bloody. of course, my helmet was off my head. but i thought -- my initial thought was that i was burned. >> fortunately, no employees are inside the foundry when the fire erupts. the fire department...

If that thing was going to blow, we were dead right there. 200 feet away. >> the noise from the pressure building inside the tanker is deafening. >> there was the hissing of the fire, just kind of started building and building and building. >> firefighters back away from the flaming tanker. >> all units evacuate to at least 10,000 feet. 10,000 feet evacuation for engine two. imminent explosion. >> we got about 200 feet of it out, and unbelievably, it got louder. it got so loud. >> before firefig...

Building next door. >> the explosion ignites a huge fire at the foundry. >> theres this huge billowing black cloud of smoke. it was just amazing. >> we knew it was going to be a very big fire. it was a huge column of smoke, huge. >> we have flames shooting over the roof. weve got a report from the plant personnel that their propane tank has gone up. >> several bystanders and nearby residents begin filming the flames. >> it was pretty impressive and it was noisy. you could really hear the flames....

Well, we are going to show you. the situations are dire, the people are real, the stakes couldnt be higher. and theyre all caught on camera. its some of the most dramatic video youll ever see. hong kong, november 20th, 1996. the worst high-rise fire in the countrys history breaks out in the 16-story office and apartment building in the downtown shopping district. thousands of people scramble over one another to flee that burning building. some are lucky enough to escape. others are not. lives da...

>> but the attack isnt over. and the biggest explosion is yet to come. manning a machine gun at the checkpoint is specialist darrell green. >> at that time, they -- the cement mixer was trying to come through our perimeter. >> a huge cement mixer filled with explosives tries to sneak through the breach made by the first blast and drive up to the hotels. >> their main goal with the first two explosions was to make a hole into our perimeter, which the first explosion did. the second vehicle was de...