2006 Falk Corporation Explosion - Explosion and Emergency Response

Explosion and Emergency Response

Before the explosion, most of the workers had evacuated the building. Police Chief Nannette Hegerty stated that an evacuation had begun 10 to 14 minutes before the explosion. According to reports by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, a Falk spokeswoman stated that the evacuation was limited to the area near a propane leak. The Journal's report also stated that a man said that he smelled gas about thirty minutes before the explosion occurred. Another worker reported a propane leak, and shut off the tank and issued a warning, but could still smell the gas. The Journal interviewed six employees that said they were never formally evacuated because it would have led them through the Annex building.

At 8:07 A.M. Central time the entirety of the dual building exploded. The explosion happened while workers were performing a test to switch to a back-up system heating system which used propane instead of gas to heat the facility.

The explosion killed three people and injured 47. It was later discovered that the people who were killed were attempting to repair the leak. Debris landed several blocks away from the site of the explosion and cars were hurled through the air by the force of the blast. The explosion caused widespread damage to an area approximately the size of two football fields. The Department of Neighborhood Services later carried out an inspection of the site; they discovered that buildings within a radius of approximately 500 feet (150 m) had sustained heavy damage, such as torn-off roofs and collapsed walls. Roughly thirty separate vehicles were destroyed in the blast.

The nearest fire station was just six blocks away. Firefighters were initially alerted by the force of the explosion buckling the fire station door. Originally it was thought that a car had struck the fire station, but when firefighters went outside, they quickly realized this was not the case. One of the drivers soon spotted smoke and a fire engine and a paramedic unit were dispatched to go to this smoke. These vehicles were the first rescuers on the scene and arrived just three minutes, forty seconds after the initial explosion. They immediately sent for the department's heavy urban rescue team. Ultimately, 125 firefighters in 34 vehicles, 52 police officers, multiple private ambulances and the American Red Cross all helped at the scene, which was classed by the fire service as a five-alarm emergency.