A pool fire burning under or near a tank of flammable liquid may cause the tank to explode in what is called a ______________

A pool fire burning under or near a tank of flammable liquid may cause the tank to explode in what is called a ______________

• A. Primary detonation
• B. Tank rupture
• C. Explosive discharge
• D. Not secondary event

Answer: (D)

When a tank containing flammable liquid is heated by a nearby pool fire, the liquid boils and the tank walls weaken until the vessel ruptures, releasing vapors and liquid in a powerful blast. This phenomenon is known as a Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion (BLEVE). Because the explosion originates from the tank failing due to heat rather than from ignition of vapors after the initial fire, it’s described as not a secondary event. Among the given options, that distinction best matches the choice indicating it isn’t a secondary event. The other terms describe different ways an explosion could occur (a detonation, a rupture as the explosion itself, or a general “explosive discharge”) and don’t accurately capture the BLEVE mechanism.

When a tank containing flammable liquid is heated by a nearby pool fire, the liquid boils and the tank walls weaken until the vessel ruptures, releasing vapors and liquid in a powerful blast. This phenomenon is known as a Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion (BLEVE). Because the explosion originates from the tank failing due to heat rather than from ignition of vapors after the initial fire, it’s described as not a secondary event. Among the given options, that distinction best matches the choice indicating it isn’t a secondary event. The other terms describe different ways an explosion could occur (a detonation, a rupture as the explosion itself, or a general “explosive discharge”) and don’t accurately capture the BLEVE mechanism.