A magnesium recycling plant's sprinkler system helped turn a small fire in a scrap bin into a toxic inferno that forced thousands of people from their homes, fire investigators said.

Who is the genious who put H20 Sprinklers in a Magnesium plant?!!?!?!

How Retarded is this Person?
<< Vote >> Completely Utterly Mostly Mildly Not At All

Poll results:
Number 2 overall.
Completely: 33 votes
Utterly: 7 votes
Mostly: 5 votes
Mildly: 2 votes
Not At All: 8 votes

From:	Administrator (admin)	(Sun 16 Jan 2005 07:56:04 PM PST)
Officials are trying to determine why the Advanced Magnesium Alloys Corp. plant had a working sprinkler system in the same area where the metal is stored. Water causes burning magnesium to flare up and explode. After magnesium in a scrap bin caught fire Friday evening, plant workers immediately tried to put it out with dry material, Anderson Deputy Fire Chief Mike McKinley said. "Before they could put it out, the sprinkler went off," he said Saturday. The water helped fuel the burning magnesium, which by Friday evening forced the evacuation of about 5,000 nearby residents because of hazardous fumes. Those residents were allowed to return home Saturday after the fire subsided. Officials said the plant's sprinkler system was installed when the building was the General Motors Delphi Engine and Energy Facility. Connie Smith, a spokeswoman for Anderson Mayor Kevin Smith, said fire officials told plant officials 18 months ago to cap the sprinklers. Capping the sprinkler would have been easier than removing it, which would have required a zoning variance, she said. No one answered the company's phone Sunday. Detective Terry Sollars of the Anderson Police Department said fire investigators continued their work Sunday to assess the sprinkler system's role in the fire. They were also trying to determine how the fire began. He said the fire continued to smolder Sunday but was essentially out. Officials were uncertain how much of the 300,000 pounds of magnesium stored in the plant for recycling burned in the fire. McKinley said that before officials do anything else, they will remove 800,000 pounds of already recycled magnesium slabs from the burned building. The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was at the site to try to determine the fire's cause and origin, agent Mike Vergon said. Anderson is about 35 miles northeast of Indianapolis.

From:	www.barecca.com	(Tue 25 Jan 2005 12:38:09 PM PST)
Nobody's perfect. Besides, at least it makes for a pretty picture.

From:	MPH	(Fri 18 Feb 2005 02:46:56 PM PST)
Sprinklers were ruled out as they had been disabled years ago, though water may have come from broken pipes. Arson is now suspected but no arrests have been made as of today.