LAPD bomb squad explosion

[Hambo]

Well, that didn't pan out.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYAwqMWrFdg

[rd62]

Dang, thats a big blast!

[peterb]

https://twitter.com/knxpete?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed% 7Ctwterm%5E1410437541468069891%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5 Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.npr.org%2F2021%2F07%2F01 %2F1012077924%2Fillegal-fireworks-explode-in-los-angeles-bomb-squad-truck-hurting-17
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A stockpile of illegal fireworks detonated following attempts by the Los Angeles Police Department's bomb squad to destroy the explosives. The force of the blast destroyed the department's armored truck, injured 17 people and required the evacuation of nearby homes.

On Wednesday evening, LAPD bomb squad officers were in the process of seizing more than 5,000 pounds of illegal fireworks at a home in South Los Angeles, the department said. Some of those fireworks were being stored in the department's armored trailer as a precautionary measure when it exploded.

https://www.npr.org/2021/07/01/1012077924/illegal-fireworks-explode-in-los-angeles-bomb-squad-truck-hurting-17

[srcochran49]

I can't tell positively from the video, but that total containment vessel looks like the unit LAPD received in preparation for the 84 Olympics. If so, it is over 35 years old. That vessel was a one off at the time, and I am not aware of any others that were that large. I believe that unit was rated to handle 40 pounds of C4. The Miami Dade Bomb Squad where I worked had a smaller unit that was rated for 10 pounds of C4. Those containment vessels were constructed of HY 80 steel, and while painted on the exterior, the interior was bare and prone to rust. Additionally, there were numerous data points on the exterior that were supposed to be used for gathering measurements after every detonation which occurred in the vessel. The steel was eventually going to stretch enough to make it no longer safe. Apparently that unit reached that point, or the net explosive weight was in excess of its capacity.

[Dog Guy]

I'm betting that this was not a "planned detonation". I expect that there was a plan to move the explosive in the containment vehicle to a safer place and then do the planned det, and something went wrong. Maybe I'm wrong and they did plan to blow it up in the middle of the neighborhood with no evacuation and lots of fire and police standing around but color me skeptical. Too many newsies saying a planned detonation went wrong.

[Hambo]

I'm betting that this was not a "planned detonation". I expect that there was a plan to move the explosive in the containment vehicle to a safer place and then do the planned det, and something went wrong. Maybe I'm wrong and they did plan to blow it up in the middle of the neighborhood with no evacuation and lots of fire and police standing around but color me skeptical. Too many newsies saying a planned detonation went wrong.

I agree that a planned detonation of that quantity of any explosive, in a neighborhood is not something they would do. I will wait with interest for the actual report on what happened.

[Dog Guy]

Looks like I was wrong. One interview had LAPD saying that some of the explosives were unstable and they didn't want to move them so they blew them in place, expecting a smaller explosion.

"This was completely unexpected. They followed all the protocols in place. It was not really one of these explosions that was unplanned. This was planned," LAPD Lt. Raul Jovel said at a press conference.

https://abc7news.com/la-explosion-illegal-fireworks-bomb-squad-truck-los-angeles/10850030/

[srcochran49]

After doing a little research, I have found that commercially available total containment vessels are available in sizes that are similar to that in this incident. And the appearance of them is similar to the unit used by LAPD. So it is likely that the TCV in this incident is in fact a newer unit.

Since LAPD is stating that this was a planned detonation, it stands to reason that the vessel was simply overloaded beyond its rated capacity. If the fireworks that were being disposed of were "homemade", this could have easily occurred. These type of fireworks can behave like high explosives rather than the typical low explosives.

[UNM1136]

I may have been distracted slightly by Nichole, but it looks like there is a pit in the vehicle for detonations. I always thought that the trailers were a better, safer, more replaceable option.

pat

[Stephanie B]

I'm glad that nobody got killed, but there is something darkly funny about the LAPD blowing up their own bomb truck.

[kwb377]

I'm glad that nobody got killed, but there is something darkly funny about the LAPD blowing up their own bomb truck.

BDU Commander: "We've put in the budget for a new truck for the last eight years, and it keeps getting turned down."

BDU Sergeant: "Hold my beer..."

[Hambo]

I'm glad that nobody got killed, but there is something darkly funny about the LAPD blowing up their own bomb truck.


BDU Commander: "We've put in the budget for a new truck for the last eight years, and it keeps getting turned down."

BDU Sergeant: "Hold my beer..."

Or:

BDU Tech: "This will work, trust me."

Bomb truck shattering KABOOM.

Everybody: "HOLY FUCK!"

BDU Sgt: "Here's what just happened. We told the ATF guys not to fuck around with that..."

[Jim Watson]

I never see followup on this sort of stuff. Just what was in those devices that they thought was "unstable?"
Kind of like the Nashville Bomb, never any mention of what he used.

[awp_101]

https://live.staticflickr.com/4167/35600037395_46c0588de3_o.png (https://flic.kr/p/WeRuQc)

[Lester Polfus]

I never see followup on this sort of stuff. Just what was in those devices that they thought was "unstable?"
Kind of like the Nashville Bomb, never any mention of what he used.

1) The reporter probably doesn't care about the technical detail, and is more interested in how everybody felt about it.

2) If the reporter did care, the bomb tech could explain it to the PAO. The PAO could explain it to the reporter. The reporter would hear... words.

3) Sometimes I think the cops hold these things close to the vest, lest they inspire ideas or compromise an investigation.

We used the bomb squad from a large, neighboring metro agency. There was a mutual aid agreement in place. They were having trouble recruiting, I think due to some toxic leadership issues and there was talk of turning it into a multi-agency thing, kind of like what many areas do for SWAT. I have an electronics background and one of the EDU guys was trying to recruit me, to which I responded "I am not going to work on explosives built by amateurs."

[Hambo]

Bomb tech openings at LAPD.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/19/us/firework-explosion-los-angeles-bomb-squad-update-human-error-trnd/index.html