Exterior Damage
The explosion vent panels in the dust collector were blown open, and three of four maintenance doors
were blown open or off. The ensuing fire completely consumed the aluminum dust and combustible filter
cartridge materials inside the dust collector, destroying it (Figure 16). The drop box was split open at the
seams into four large pieces; one piece was thrown 20 feet to the south and lodged against the back of the
contractor’s mobile lab trailer (Figure 17). Another large fragment apparently hit the side of the foundry
building, slightly deforming a vertical steel wall support beam near furnace 5.