The Story:
Only 8 generators of the 16 at the site were running at the time. We had just shut down 8 of them. No one was at the facility when the generator blew so no one really knows exactly what happened. The operator arrived sometime just after it happened and called 911. He tried to put out whatever fire he could but it was too overwhelming for a simple fire extinguisher. The generator busted out large holes in both sides of the generator spilling and spraying diesel fuel oil and motor oil all over the floor, ceiling, and adjacent generators. Large parts of the metal block flew across the plant and busted a hole in another generators exhaust stack. The reason fuel spilled and sprayed is becuase the rod broke and the piston dropped out letting fuel oil go. The entire roof from one end of the building to the other was engulfed in fire which was evident by the burned insulation and fire/flame detectors. Some of the cabling was burned in the cable trays, but surprisingly, much of it was in tact. Some of the steel beams were deformed and the entire roof must be replaced. Estimated damages are $1.8 Million.

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