Lake Fire near Big Bear grows to 7,500 acres ; Evacuation center closes

KPCC and AP

The Lake Fire in San Bernardino County expanded overnight from 100 acres to roughly 1,700 acres on Thursday, June 18, 2015.

Bensweather.com/InciWeb

Fueled by driving winds and steep terrain, the Lake Fire in San Bernardino County exploded in size Thursday. The fire near Big Bear Lake jumped 6,000 acres in just six hours. Authorities had earlier issued evacuation orders that affected campers in the area, though as of early afternoon no new orders were in place. Meanwhile, the growth of the Wildcat Fire in northern San Diego County has slowed, and a vegetation fire in the community of Thermal near Indio had burned 60 acres Thursday afternoon, destroying three homes and injuring one firefighter.

Highlights

• 7:20 p.m.: Grapefruit Fire ignites near in Thermal
• 3:59 p.m.: Evacuation center changes
• 12:15 p.m.: Fire spreads quickly, makes run up mountainsides
• 11:50 a.m.: Lake Fire has burned 1,700 acres 
• 6:49 a.m.: 2 wildfires bring evacuations in Southern California

7:20 p.m.: Grapefruit Fire ignites near in Thermal
A 60-acre fire erupted in a palm grove in the desert town of Thermal, 135 miles southeast of Los Angeles. By late afternoon, it had burned three homes and several outbuildings, state fire officials reported.
About an hour's drive northwest, a wildfire burning since Wednesday exploded in size in a remote area of San Bernardino National Forest.
About 400 people, including residents of about two dozen homes and several hundred campers, many of them children, had been evacuated as the fire burned south of Big Bear Lake, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reported.
No buildings were damaged as flames consumed heavy brush and 30-foot pines along mountain slopes at 6,000 feet.
On Thursday, authorities airlifted a 74-year-old man to safety after the fire advanced to within a quarter-mile of a dry lake in the San Gorgonio Wilderness where he was hiking. The man told authorities he was on a 3-day backpacking trip that began in the area where the fire began.
Further south, crews slowed the spread of a wildfire near a casino in northern San Diego County that had forced the evacuation of about seven homes Wednesday.
The fire on the Barona Indian Reservation burned about 170 acres of dry brush and was 68 percent contained. No homes were threatened.
Other fires being fought included a 100-acre blaze in Yuba County in the Sierra Nevada foothills north of Sacramento. More than a dozen homes were ordered evacuated after a training fire for state crews reportedly was swept out of control by gusty winds north of Smartsville.
Crews also fought a 35-acre wildfire in Mariposa County; a 50-acre blaze in San Joaquin County, and a 40-acre fire near the Central California rural town of Bootjack that briefly forced evacuations.
— AP
Update 3:59 p.m.: Evacuation center changes
With mandatory evacuations still under order for some camp areas near the Lake Fire in San Bernardino County, fire officials are reporting that the evacuation center at Citrus Valley High will close for now and campers will move to the University of Redlands. According to their site: 

As of 4pm, today, June 18, 2015, the Citrus Valley High School evacuation center will be closing. Kid's camp will conclude at the University of Redlands. Red Cross is seeking a new evacuation center location.

Devore Animal Center in San Bernardino is accepting pets who've been displaced by the fire, according to the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department. In addition to campgrounds, about 20 homes in the area near Rainbow Lane have been evacuated, Forest service spokesman Lee Beyer told KPCC. 
The county has opened a new evacuation center at St. Francis Xavier Cabrini Church in Yucaipa. 
Meanwhile, smoke from the fire has obscured skies in areas near the wildfire. We have some tips on how to handle wildfire smoke here. 

Update 12:15 p.m.: Fire spreads quickly, makes run up mountainsides
The Lake Fire in the San Bernardino National Forest jumped 6,000 acres in six hours Thursday morning, San Bernardino County Fire confirmed.
The growth was due to a combination of winds and topography, U.S. Forest Service spokesman Lee Beyer told KPCC. 
"Wind is still pushing to the east, but it's also getting established on some of the hillsides on the north side of San Gorgonio [Mountain]," Beyer said. "It's also making some runs in some of that area as well, going uphill. " 
Beyer said there are no additional evacuations being ordered currently. Highway 38 will remain closed from just south of Big Bear Lake as crews try to get a handle on the flames.
"They're going to be trying to anchor, pinch and flank," Beyer said. "So starting from a safe point along the fire line where they can start working the fire itself, and then just anchoring and working that flank up towards the head of the fire." That strategy is not uncommon, Beyer said. 
"The problem is, right now the fire's moving a little bit quicker than they are able to safely get in there," Beyer said. 
Air tankers have been called in to drop water on the flames. Beyer says there are no communities in the immediate path of the fire, but cautions that residents of the general area should consider what they might need to grab in case the fire expands. 
"The fire's definitely burning. It's moving a lot," he said.


















Image courtesy of KPCC’s media partner NBC4

Earlier in the day, the fire forced the evacuation of about 200 campers in the forest.
Among them were Syndi Dorman's two children, who were attending a performance arts camp, Camp Bravo, in the forest this week.
"I got this bleep from a news site on my phone saying that there's a 25 acre forest fire up in the San Bernardino mountain," she told KPCC. "A ping went on in my head — 'Oh my goodness, that's where my kids are.'"
Dorman says she was looking for information about the fire online Thursday morning when she finally received an email from the camp's director saying the children were safe at a local high school.
She had the chance to talk to her 15-year-old daughter, who said she and her brother were fine.
"I'm feeling a lot more relieved just knowing [they're] OK," said Dorman.
— KPCC staff
Update 11:50 a.m.: Lake Fire has burned 1,700 acres 
The Lake Fire burning in the San Bernardino National Forest has grown to 1,700 acres, according to officials. It has been 15 percent contained. 
Winds are expected to carry smoke toward the northeast and east of the Mojave Desert Basin. The eastern San Bernardino Mountains area, including Big Bear Lake, are forecasted to experience periods of unhealthy air quality.
The National Weather Service posted an animated GIF showing the spread of smoke over the region:

Evacuations continue to include areas east of Angelus Oaks, Onyx Summit, Barton Flats, Seven Oaks and homes off of Rainbow Lane. 
The South Coast Air Quality Management District is advising people affected by smoke to keep windows and doors closed.
— KPCC staff
Update 10:20 a.m.: Fire grows to 1,500 acres
The fire in San Bernardino National Forest has grown to 1,500 acres by Thursday morning, according to officials. The cause is still under investigation. 
— KPCC staff
6:49 a.m.: 2 wildfires bring evacuations in Southern California
A wildfire forced the evacuation of nearly 200 campers, most of them children, from campgrounds in the San Bernardino National Forest.
The Lake Fire in San Bernardino County expanded from 100 acres to roughly 1,000 acres overnight.
Officials say the evacuees include 120 kids from Camp de Benneville Pines in the wilderness south of Big Bear Lake, 90 miles east of Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, crews have slowed the spread of a wildfire near a casino in northern San Diego County that prompted evacuations.
State fire spokesman Kendal Bortisser says the Wildcat Fire that broke out Wednesday afternoon on the Barona Indian Reservation has burned about 150 acres of brush. It's 10 percent contained.
Bortisser says about seven homes were evacuated, but by nightfall no mandatory evacuation orders remained in place.

A truck carrying empty wine bottles struck concrete barriers and flipped in Portland, Oregon

PORTLAND, Ore. 

All southbound lanes of I-5 across the Interstate Bridge were closed for nearly five hours after a truck carrying empty wine bottles struck concrete barriers and flipped.

The bridge was reopened at 7 a.m. but backups stretched for miles on both I-5 and the alternate route, Interstate 205. The detour between the two along State Route 14, a 7-mile stretch, took more than an hour at one point.

A father and son in the truck were not hurt. Police told KGW that speed was a factor in the crash and that the driver would be cited for negligent driving.

Rhamindir 'Roni' Ghuman told KGW that he was in the sleeper cab and awakened to realize that the rig was in the middle of a wreck. It came to a rest and he sensed lots of smoke before escaping.

"I just heard a couple bangs. I could feel everything start falling and it was kind of starting to tip over. It was all just so quick," he said. "Right when we came to a complete stop, there was so much smoke coming out. I was hoping there wasn't a gas leak or anything. I was just panicking getting out of the truck. Once I saw we were on a bridge, it was just crazy!"

The two own Black Rose Trucking LLC out of Kent, Wash., and were on their way to Fairfield, Calif. USDOT records show four vehicle and 11 driver inspections in the last two years with no violations. The company had no crashes during that time.

"He's been driving for 10 years, and this is the first time this has ever happened. It's crazy. And he's a really good driver. It goes to show stuff like that can happen at any time," said Ghuman.

The truck struck the gate for bridge lifts and crews had to inspect the electrical connections on the bridge before it reopened.

Also Wednesday morning, semi-truck carrying milk overturned on the I-205 overpass at exit 12A, closing the southbound off-ramp to Oregon 212 eastbound. The ramp was blocked for several hours as crews cleaned up spilled milk and diesel.

Here's the scene now. Even if they get the semi out of the way they have to test the bridge electrical unit @KGWNewspic.twitter.com/3TSvnEQXA3

— Rachael Rafanelli (@RachaelKGW) June 17, 2015

UPDATE: The semi is now upright on the SB I-5 Interstate Bridge. Still no estimate for reopening pic.twitter.com/5zhsdg5zFM

— WSDOT - SW Region (@wsdot_sw) June 17, 2015

A truck carrying empty wine bottles crashed on the I-5 bridge. (Photo: KGW Sky8)

15-year old Boy Declared Brain-Dead After Being Struck by Hit-and-Run Driver in Echo Park, California

A hit-in-run in Echo Park on June 12, 2015, initially left a 15-year-old boy in critical condition. He was later declared brain-dead. (Credit: KTLA)

A 15-year-old boy was declared brain-dead Sunday as a result of injuries he suffered two days earlier, when he and a 13-year-old cousin were struck by a hit-and-run driver in Echo Park, authorities said.

The family of the older boy, Christian Donis, was at his bedside, said Rosa Saca, a spokeswoman for Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, who confirmed the boy was brain dead.

Christian and his cousin, Adam Donis, were crossing Alvarado Street at Montrose Street, just south of Sunset Boulevard, about 10 p.m. Friday when the collision occurred, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

One of the teens may have grabbed the other, in an attempt to pull him from the vehicle’s path, before they were both hit, police said.

After the incident, Christian was transported to a hospital in critical condition, officials said. Adam, who sustained minor injuries, was also hospitalized.

A Toyota Venza compact SUV, similar to the one police were looking for in connection with an Echo Park hit-and-run, is seen in a file photo.

Witnesses described the vehicle to investigators as a white 2012-2014 Toyota Venza compact SUV. It was last seen fleeing northbound on Alvarado Street. No description of the driver was given.

A 28-year-old Tujunga man was arrested Saturday evening in connection with the collision, according to the LAPD. Details of the arrest were not disclosed.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call LAPD Central Traffic Division detectives at 213-833-3750, or the station’s watch commander at 213-833-3744.

Tips can be submitted anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

Stolen Pickup Truck Crashes into Washington State Home Nearly Striking Homeowner Inside

The driver of a stolen truck slammed into the front door of a home in Camas, Washington. (Credit: KATU)

JUNE 18, 2015

Camas, Washington

A homeowner in Camas, Washington, was standing just feet from her front door when an out-of-control truck slammed into her home on Monday morning.

“I look out the window and around the corner and a truck was sitting in my porch,” Ann Degenshein told local TV station KATU. “That giant wood, custom door … fell straight down, and locked me in the office.”

The driver of the truck, which was stolen, was trapped in the vehicle and had to kick out the back window to escape, the station reported.

He didn’t get too far. Police found him a few blocks away and arrested him, according to KATU.

“He ended up hiding in the back of the gardener’s truck,’ Degenshein said. “I guess he covered himself with leaves.”
Source:www.katu.com

FIERY BIG RIG CRASH IN KING CITY, CALIFORNIA AFTER THE DRIVER WAS DISTRACTED, CRASHED INTO A GUARD RAIL, LOST AN AXLE, AND FLIPPED THE TRUCK.

JUNE 18, 2015

KING CITY, CALIFORNIA

Highway 101 southbound was closed for four hours at Canal Street in King City because of a big rig truck crash. 

The unloaded truck overturned at 9:45 a.m. and burst into flames.

Investigators said the driver was distracted, crashed into a guard rail, lost an axle, and flipped the truck.

A 27-year-old man who was driving escaped from the truck moments before it was engulfed by fire.

He only suffered a few scratches because passersby stopped and helped him jump out, California Highway Patrol officers said. 

Highway 101 was fully reopened at 2 p.m.

Source: http://www.ksbw.com

As many as 90 percent of wildland fires in the United States are caused by humans, according to the U.S. Department of Interior

Wildfires

JUNE 2015

As many as 90 percent of wildland fires in the United States are caused by humans, according to the U.S. Department of Interior. Some human-caused fires result from campfires left unattended, the burning of debris, negligently discarded cigarettes and intentional acts of arson. The remaining 10 percent are started by lightning or lava.

Over the 20-year period, 1993 to 2012, fires, including wildfires, accounted for 1.7 percent of insured catastrophes losses, totaling about $6.5 billion, according to the Property Claims Services (PCS) unit of ISO. The term “catastrophe” in the property insurance industry denotes a natural or man-made disaster that is unusually severe. An event is designated a catastrophe by the industry when claims are expected to reach a certain dollar threshold, currently set at $25 million, and more than a certain number of policyholders and insurance companies are affected.

Damage caused by fire and smoke are covered under standard homeowners, renters and business owners insurance policies and under the comprehensive portion of an auto insurance policy. Water or other damage caused by fire fighters to extinguish the fire is also covered under these policies. In California the California FAIR Plan covers residential and commercial properties located in brush and wildfire areas. Properties in those areas are subject to higher rates due to increased risk of fire. 

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

• Recent Research: A 2015 study by CoreLogic identifies almost 900,000 residential properties across 13 states in the western U.S. currently at high or very high risk of wildfire damage. They represent a combined total property value estimated at more than $237 billion. Of the total properties identified, 192,000 homes fall into the very high risk category, with total residential exposure valued at more than $49 billion.
• California, Colorado and Texas are the states with the largest number of properties categorized as very high risk, with a combined property value exceeding 36 billion. The exposure jumps to $188 billion when properties at high and very high risk are included.
• The cost of fighting wildfires reached $3.5 billion per year from 2002 to 2012 according to a report by Headwaters Economics, a nonprofit Research group.
• Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences researchers have concluded that by 2050 the number of wildfires in the West could rise by 50 percent, and across the U.S. the number would double.
• 2015 Wildfire Season: Between January 1 and June 1, 2015 there were 21,648 wildfires in the U.S., which burned 397,136 acres, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
• 2014 Wildfire Season: Over the past 20 years the 2014 wildfire season ranks second only to 2013 for the lowest number of fires and acres burned.
• In 2014 there were 63,312 wildfires which burned over about 3.6 million acres.
• The Happy Camp Complex fire in California burned over 134,056 acres.
• The Carlton Complex fire in Washington state burned over 256,108 acres and was the largest fire in the state to date.

Researchers are discovering that embers blown by the wind during wildfires cause most of the fires that burn homes. Also, homes that are less than 15 feet apart are more likely to burn in clusters. In such cases, fire is often spread by combustible fences and decks connected to houses, a study by the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) found.

The risk of wildfires is likely to continue to grow as temperatures rise, lengthening the fire season, and more people move into steep forested areas once largely uninhabited. Thirty-eight states have wildfire risks, according to IBHS, and the risk of wildfires keeps growing as more homes are built in wildland areas, some five million in California alone. 

Among the preventive features recommended in the IBHS study were noncombustible siding, decking and roofing materials; covered vents; and fences not connected directly to the house. In addition, combustible structures in the yard such as playground equipment should be at least 30 feet away from the house and vegetation 100 feet away.

OSHA cites Gehring Construction & Ready Mix Concrete Inc., Columbus, Nebraska in death of heavy equipment operator

June 18, 2015

OSHA cites Gehring Construction & Ready Mix Concrete Inc., Columbus, Nebraska in death of heavy equipment operator

Employer name: Gehring Construction & Ready Mix Concrete Inc., Columbus, Nebraska

Investigation site: 3304 North Shore Drive
Schuyler, Nebraska

Date investigation initiated and what prompted inspection: On April 11, a 26-year-old employee was killed after being struck in the head by a metal tow rope connection while operating a front-end loader. An investigation of the fatality by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Omaha Area Office found this tragedy may have been avoided if his employer, Gehring Construction & Ready Mix Concrete Inc., had implemented procedures to protect the worker from struck-by hazards.

Investigation findings: OSHA issued two serious and one other-than-serious safety violation. 

Investigators found the front end loader was attempting to tow a concrete truck that had become struck in the sand. The front end loader was connected to the concrete mixer truck by a tow rope and chain. A link on the chain failed, causing the tow rope to snap back and the metal tow rope connection went through the window of the cab striking the employee. One serious violation cites the company under OSHA's general duty clause, for failing to provide a workplace free of hazards. 

Gehring Construction & Ready Mix Concrete also failed to properly train employees in towing methods, connecting techniques and the usage of appropriate towing components, resulting in a serious violation.

Additionally, the company was cited for not notifying OSHA of the death of the employee within eight hours following a work-related incident. OSHA was notified two-days after the incident.

Quote: "This was tragic and preventable death that has forever altered the lives of this employee's wife and three children," said Darwin Craig, OSHA's Acting Area Director in Omaha. "No worker should fail to return home at the end of the day. Employers must review their operating and training procedures to ensure that safety is the first priority on the job site."

Proposed Penalties: $14,630

To ask questions; obtain compliance assistance; file a complaint or report amputations, losses of an eye, workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency's Omaha Area Office at 402-553-0171.

Alin Machining Company Inc., a Melrose Park, Illinois, metal shop, exposes workers to machine hazards. OSHA proposes penalties of $42K for 2 safety violations

June 18, 2015

Alin Machining Company Inc., a Melrose Park, Illinois, metal shop, exposes workers to machine hazards.

OSHA proposes penalties of $42K for 2 safety violations

Employer name: Alin Machining Company Inc., doing business as Power Plant Services

Investigation site: 3131 W. Soffel Ave.
Melrose Park, Illinois

Date investigation initiated and what prompted inspection: On March 4, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Chicago North Area Office initiated an inspection after Alin Machining Company reported that a worker had suffered a severe finger laceration while operating a lathe. 

Investigation findings: OSHA issued one repeat and one serious safety violation for exposing workers to amputation hazards at the metal shop which manufactures parts for turbines, generators and coal pulverziers.

Investigators found manual lathes lacked adequate guarding which protects workers from coming in contact with rotating parts of the machine. Lack of appropriate machine guarding can cause lacerations, bruises, and amputations. The company was previously cited for this violation in 2013, resulting in the issuance of this repeated violation. 

A serious violation was issued to the company for inadequate guards on CNC lathes, including disengaging safety interlocks on doors.

Quote: "Each year thousands of workers are injured which impacts their ability to earn a living because employers like Power Plant Services fail to follow rules for machine safety," said Angeline Loftus, OSHA's Area Director for the Chicago North Office in Des Plaines. 

Proposed Penalties: $42,000

To ask questions; obtain compliance assistance; file a complaint or report amputations, losses of an eye, workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency's Chicago North Area Office in Des Plaines at 847-803-4800.

Baby Injured in Natural Gas Explosion at a Home in Gettysburg, SD

June 18, 2015

GETTYSBURG, SD

 Natural gas is believed to be the cause of an explosion that damaged a Gettysburg home and injured a baby inside.
Potter County Emergency Manager Cheryl Sautner said the blast occurred about 8:30 a.m. Wednesday at the home of Scott and Lisa Quiett. Officials with Montana-Dakota Utilities were on site later in the day investigating.
Sautner says the baby suffered burns to her face, hands and an arm. She was taken to a Minneapolis-area hospital for treatment.

Deadly 2012 Indianapolis explosion equivalent to three tons of TNT, excessive amount of natural gas was pumped into the house

JUNE 18, 2015

SOUTH BEND, INDIANA

Jurors in Mark Leonard’s double murder trial in the Richmond Hill case were told this morning that an excessive amount of natural gas equivalent to more than three tons of TNT was pumped into a south side Indianapolis home leading up to a fatal 2012 explosion.


Leonard is accused of leading an insurance fraud conspiracy to destroy his girlfriend’s home through a miscalculated natural gas explosion that damaged or destroyed 80 homes at a loss in excess of $4 million.

Jennifer and Dion Longworth died in the explosion and fire that consumed their home next door.

Citizens Energy Group Vice President Christopher Braun identified photographs of the gas meter from 8349 Fieldfare Way which was found the day after the blast. Braun said subsequent testing of the meter proved there was no malfunction of the device and its reading was compared to two other meters on Fieldfare Way.

Braun said subsequent testing of the meter proved there was no malfunction of the device and its reading was compared to two other meters on Fieldfare Way.

The readings showed Monserrate Shirley’s house used two and half times the amount of natural gas as those of her neighbors by Nov. 10, 2012.

Braun said Shirley’s utility history indicated her house should have used 74 hundreds cubic feet of natural gas for the early November bill, which would have been in line with usage at her neighbors’ houses.

Instead, engineers determined that 186 ccf were pumped into her house.
Braun said the effect of the excess gas inside the house caused it to blow up to the effect of an estimated 6,844 pounds of TNT.

The veteran utility executive testified that natural gas is flammable when it is within a 5-15 percent gas-to-air mixture with lower levels found near the floor and higher levels closer to the roofline of the house.

Too little or too much natural gas will fail to ignite.

Braun told jurors that the level of natural gas would not be uniform throughout the house.

Investigators believe there may have been up to six potential ignition points within the residence and any one of those would be located in the “sweet spot” where the gas-to-air mixture was just right.

Under cross examination by Defense Counsel Dianne Black Braun admitted that not all the excessive consumption could be traced to the afternoon and evening hours of November 10th when investigators theorized that co-conspirators Bob Leonard, Jr., and Gary Thompson disabled natural gas control valves to fill the home with fuel.

Prosecutors claim they have documented at least two previous attempts to destroy Shirley’s home which also included the introduction of excess natural gas into the dwelling.

Investigators have testified that a key piece of an attachment to the gas meter at Monserrate Shirley’s house, a step down regulator that controls the amount of natural gas that can be introduced into a home, was missing and replaced by a hard piece of black piping.

Another valve to control the amount of fuel to a gas-fed fireplace was also missing as one inspector told jurors, “anybody who understands a little bit of plumbing could do it” wielding only a pipe wrench.

Leonard has shown more interest in the evidence aspect of this case as opposed to the dozens of stories told by Richmond Hill residents about what they saw the night of the explosion.

“The evidence is becoming a little bit more critical in relation to the culpability of Mr. Leonard,” said St. Joseph Superior Judge John Marnocha who is hearing the case in his South Bend courtroom. “I don’t think there is any dispute as to what happen, the explosion and the damages…the issue seems to be the results.”

The Court then quoted the opening statement of Leonard’s attorneys as to his involvement in the tragedy.

“The purpose of that was to receive insurance monies,” said the judge. “This was a simple insurance fraud that had gone terribly wrong.”

In answer to a defense motion to exclude a demonstration video portraying the sound of excessive hissing gas moving through a gas meter, Marnocha said “it seems to me pretty clear that the meter did not have the proper regulator on it when it was recovered from the scene…the removal of the regulator theoretically could allow more gas into the home…when the regulator was removed you could actually hear more gas going through the meter.”

Dirk Shaw of Marion County Forensic Services Agency testified that he examined a metal canister found at the scene that appeared to have contained a potentially explosive liquid and was significantly damaged.

“Definitely there are indications that this bottle did explode,” he told jurors. Outside the presence of the jury Shaw told the Court that internal brought on by intense heat likely caused the bottle to explode.

Jurors viewed photographs of the remains of the container and a microwave oven that appeared to have been damaged from an explosion that originated inside the device.

“Could that bottle have been placed in a microwave?” Deputy Prosecutor Denise Robinson asked Shaw in her search for an ignition point of the explosion.

“Yes,” he answered.

John Shirley, ex-husband of accused co-conspirator Monserrate Shirley, recalled for jurors a sketch he gave federal investigators of his former home detailing its floor plan and gas lines feeding a hot water heater, furnace and fireplace.

Shirley said that when he divorced his wife, he gave her possession of their home though its furnishings were changed by the time of the explosion.

When Shirley called his ex-wife the day after the blast, he said she told him, “‘It was our house’…crying…and it freaked me out.”

Shirley said he asked about his daughter’s cat Snowball which he expected to be killed in the explosion and he was told the pet was, “staying someplace…and I thought that was odd.”

Snowball always stayed home when the family went away on overnight trips, said Shirley.

Monserrate Shirley told FOX59 News that she boarded the cat three times during weekend trips in the fall of 2012, which would coincide with the Prosecution’s theory that Shirley and Leonard repeatedly tried to blow up her home before succeeding.

2 people injured in gasoline tank explosion on a car in Kennett, MO

JUNE 18, 2015

 KENNETT, MO (KFVS) - Two people were injured after the gas tank on a car exploded in Kennett.

Kennett police say two people were taken to the hospital with burns after a gas tank on a car exploded.

The victims were trying to take a gas tank off a car with a grinder on Ely Road when it exploded.

Both patients have burns and were taken to the emergency room.

BSEE Oversees Testing of Shell Arctic Drilling Well Containment Equipment

JUNE 18, 2015

EVERETT, Wash. 

Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) Director Brian Salerno today announced that BSEE Alaska Region Director Mark Fesmire this week oversaw testing of Shell’s proposed Arctic-ready capping stack system in Puget Sound to ensure compliance with stringent Federal safety standards for oil and gas exploration on the Arctic Outer Continental Shelf.

A key piece of Arctic oil exploration containment equipment, the capping stack is used to contain the flow of oil in the unlikely(?) event all primary and backup blowout prevention equipment fails during drilling.  It is required to be in position for all of Shell’s potential drilling activities in the Arctic.

During tests this week, BSEE personnel witnessed the deployment and maneuvering of the capping stack off the rear deck of the M/V Fennica to 150 feet of water, which is deeper than Shell’s current well sites in the Chukchi Sea. 

BSEE confirmed that the capping stack functioned properly under pressures exceeding the maximum expected pressures Shell may encounter in the Arctic. Deployment of the capping stack and stack pressure testing were completed in two separate exercises spanning two days.

BSEE is currently reviewing Shell’s request to drill two exploratory wells in the Chukchi Sea this summer. If BSEE approves the drilling permits, Shell would be required to maintain the capping stack in a ready-to-deploy state on the M/V Fennica, which would be available to respond to a loss of well control within 24 hours.

In addition to containment and engineering observations such as the ones conducted this week, BSEE is overseeing additional on-water oil spill response exercises and drills and on-site inspections of oil spill response equipment throughout the proposed drilling operation. 

BSEE will use its authority to conduct a variety of equipment inspections and deployment exercises, some of which may be unannounced, to validate the tactics, logistics, resource availability, and personnel proficiency specified and relied upon in the approved plans and permits.

3,000 gallons of lubrication oil spilled in the discharge canal at CP Crane Generating Station in Baltimore, MD

June 18, 2015

BALTIMORE, MD

 The Coast Guard is overseeing a response to an oil spill Thursday at CP Crane Generating Station in Baltimore.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Baltimore received a report from the National Response Center of approximately 3,000 gallons of lubrication oil in the discharge canal at CP Crane Generating Station in Baltimore.

“At around 6:30 a.m. today, approximately 3,000 gallons of lubricating oil was unintentionally released into the Crane plant’s discharge canal,” said Todd Martin, spokesperson for Talen Energy. “The canal is a man-made, lined structure with equipment in place to capture material in the event of a release.”

Personnel from Maryland Department of the Environment, Clean Venture, Inc. and Miller Environmental Group are on scene conducting clean up operations, and have recovered approximately 2,000 gallons of oil.

Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research personnel are also on scene and assessing any impact to local wildlife.

“We arrived at about noon and were given two moderately oiled ducklings that were bright and alert,” said Michelle Neef, oil programs coordinator with Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research. “We were able to conduct a survey where we went about half a mile to the boom. We noticed only one other mallard that had been affected, which we’ll try to aid again tomorrow.”

Approximately 2,500 feet of boom is deployed to prevent oil from leaking out of the man-made canal and into the Chesapeake Bay. Areas of visible sheen were reported outside of boom, but were deemed unrecoverable by response personnel. 

“Protecting the environment is a fundamental aspect of our operations,” said John Strauch, vice president of plant operations for Talen Energy. “When the malfunction was identified, our technicians took immediate steps to stop the source of the leak and contain the lubricating oil. Their actions, combined with the assistance of the Coast Guard, MDE, our environmental consultants and local wildlife specialists, preserved and protected the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem.”

“Talen Energy and CP Crane Generating Station have highlighted the value of having an effective response plan,” said Cmdr. Michael Keane, chief of response at Coast Guard Sector Baltimore. “Their pre-staged equipment and quick response actions have ensured minimal environmental impact.” 

Of course the Coast Guard is a bunch of amateurs when comes to oil response.  The private contractors are always able to "rose-color" everything and  to hoodwink the guardsmen.

NASA Tests New Oil Spill Detection Equipment During Live Drill Off Norway

June 18, 2015 by gCaptain

File photo shows Norway’s Oil on Water exercise from 2010. 

Photo: NOFO

Scientists from NASA joined in on Norway’s annual oil spill cleanup exercise in the North Sea this year to test out some new oil detection equipment that could significantly help cleanup in the case of a major spill.

During the exercise held this month, NASA equipped one of its research aircraft with a specialized Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar, or UAVSAR, to monitor the release of oil into the sea, testing the radar’s ability to distinguish between more and less damaging types of oil slicks.

Norway’s Oil on Water exercise has been held annually since the 1980s and involves the controlled release of oil into the ocean, giving responders the chance to practice with existing cleanup techniques and equipment and a chance to test new technologies.

The potential for the UAVSAR’s to classify the oil in an oil slick was first observed during the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. However, since officials only had only estimates of how much oil was being released, researchers could not fully check UAVSAR’s accuracy.

“Radar has long been thought to be useful only for telling where oil is present,” said Cathleen Jones, one of the three scientists from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California invited to attend the exercise. “That information is important, but it’s not all that’s needed to direct the response to an oil spill.”

Because the same accident can create both light sheens of oil a few hundredths of an inch thick and heavy, sticky emulsions of oil and seawater depending on factors such as the weather and length of time since the spill, it is important for responders to know what areas of a spill are of the highest priority.

“Thick emulsions hang around in the environment much longer than a sheen does,” Jones explained. “They’re more likely to make it to shore to contaminate coastal and tidal zones and to oil sea animals. If we can identify where that high-environmental-impact oil is, cleanup crews can get the most out of the time and people they have.”

NASA describes how the radar works:

Radars “see” an oil spill because of a characteristic that the Greek philosopher Aristotle first wrote about 2,500 years ago: pouring oil on water smooths the surface. To an observer, returning radar signals — called backscatter — from a smooth, oily sea surface look darker than backscatter from a normal sea surface with small, bumpy waves.
During their observations of the Gulf oil spill, the NASA scientists discovered that the extremely sensitive UAVSAR could also detect another characteristic of oil: compared with seawater, it is a very poor conductor of electricity. Radar waves are reflected well by materials with good electrical conductivity, such as seawater, and not so well by poor conductors like oil. For that reason, the strength of the backscatter from different parts of an oil slick is related to the thickness of the emulsion in each part.

In order to calibrate the UAVSAR data, the Norwegian exercise released emulsions of differing thicknesses so that the scientists could have a range of conditions to work off of. 

The experiment also tested the instrument’s ability to distinguish between petroleum and plant-based oil, found in algal blooms. “In the Baltic Sea you will see plenty of these, and they look like oil slicks from [radar on] a satellite,” commented Camilla Brekke, associate professor in the Department of Physics and Technology at the University of Tromsø, Norway.

NASA notes that Norway is one of a few nations worldwide that allows oil to be discharged at sea to test new cleanup technologies and procedures. This year, Oil on Water was held at the abandoned Frigg Oilfield, about 140 miles (230 kilometers) northwest of Stavanger, Norway.