WTF happened in Indianapolis?

[Frosty]

I have responded to numerous meth labs, some were active cooks and a few in the active burning stage because the cooking went bad. Looking at the explosion pattern & destruction, stick with the natural gas answer. Natural gas (Methane, swamp gas etc.) has an LEL of 5% & a UEL of 15%,  Below the 5% LEL is to lean to burn and above the 15% UEL is to rich, it's the everything in-between the 5% & 15% inclusive that can make the dreaded WOOMPF or in this case KABOOM sound you don't want to hear. Public service Co's will do hot taps on active gas lines because the atmosphere is to rich to burn ie:more than 15%. Since natural gas rises it most likely filled the house prior to finding an ignition source (hot water tank, furnace, automatic timers for lights, etc.) which caused such destruction. Chemicals used to make meth are flammable and do ignite during the cooking phase but I haven't seen explosions of that magnitude from them.
I have seen houses had an explosion from methane, the explosion was of such power it knocked the other houses off their foundations.

Remember Nat. Gas (Methane) rises & propane gas sinks & seeks low area's.

[Jrlobo]

I was joking about the Hellfire. But, I think there are warheads that penetrate first and then blow internally. Makes it look like an internal blast, but the real reason is to get the blast deep into a building to do max damage to what is inside. Moot point here I believe.

[jnevis]

I was joking about the Hellfire. But, I think there are warheads that penetrate first and then blow internally. Makes it look like an internal blast, but the real reason is to get the blast deep into a building to do max damage to what is inside. Moot point here I believe.

Yes, certain weapons are designed to penetrate before exploding but most antitank rounds, including Hellfire, are shaped charges that explode externally and fire a stream of molten metal through the armor.  Most air-to-ground missile impacts the blast is in the direction of flight so there is distinct directionality to the debris field, unlike Tyler's movie version.

[billt]

Hussein should be there in just a few minutes with free stuff.

[tombogan03884]

Hussein should be there in just a few minutes with free stuff.

Better be more than blue tarps and duck tape.   

[Sponsor]

[tombogan03884]

http://news.yahoo.com/ind-home-explosion-now-homicide-investigation-232646565.html;_ylt=AjbUExwTgi.r4itXlTPK6_.s0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNrZXA5bGpkBG1pdANNZWdhdHJvbiBGUARwa2cDYjE3NTU2ZWEtMWU2ZC0zNmQyLWJlZjktZmY4MGMwYWQyMjdiBHBvcwMyBHNlYwNtZWdhdHJvbgR2ZXIDMWVhYzVmNDMtMzJhMi0xMWUyLTlmZjItYmU0ZmQ3Njg4NTcx;_ylg=X3oDMTFpNzk0NjhtBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdANob21lBHB0A3NlY3Rpb25z;_ylv=3

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Authorities launched a homicide investigation Monday into the house explosion that killed a young couple and left numerous homes uninhabitable in an Indianapolis neighborhood.

Indianapolis Homeland Security Director Gary Coons made the announcement after meeting with residents of the subdivision where the Nov. 10 blast occurred and shortly after funerals were held for the two victims, who lived next door to the house where investigators believe the explosion originated.

"We are turning this into a criminal homicide investigation," Coons said, marking the first time investigators have called the case criminal.

Search warrants are being executed and official are looking for a white van that was seen in the subdivision on the day of the blast, Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry said. Authorities are offering at least a $10,000 reward.

Curry said the investigation is aimed at "determining if there are individuals who may be responsible for this explosion and fire."

Neither he nor Coons took questions or indicated if they had any suspects. No arrests have been made.

Officials have said they believe natural gas was involved in the explosion, which destroyed five homes and left dozens damaged, some heavily. Damage has been estimated at $4.4 million.

Investigators have been focusing on appliances as they search for a cause of the explosion.

Hundreds of people attended the funerals earlier Monday for the couple killed in the explosion, 34-year-old John Dion Longworth and 36-year-old Jennifer Longworth. She was a teacher remembered for knitting gifts for her students, while her husband, an electronics expert, was known as a gardener and nature lover.

Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard spoke at the news conference and said he went to the Longworths' funeral and had a hard time coming to peace with what had happened.

"There is a search for truth and there is a search for justice," Ballard said.

The couple lived next door to the house where investigators are focusing. The co-owner of that house, John Shirley, told The Associated Press he had received a text message from his daughter recently saying the furnace in the home, which she shares with her mother and her mother's boyfriend, had gone out.

Shirley's ex-wife, Monserrate Shirley, said her boyfriend, Mark Leonard, had replaced the thermostat recently and the furnace had resumed working.

The couple was away at a casino at the time of the blast. The daughter was staying with a friend, and the family's cat was being boarded.

Monserrate Shirley's attorney, Randall Cable, declined comment on the announcement Monday evening.

[jnevis]

Can we say criminal dumba$$.  I'll work on a lot of things around the house but I'm not going anywhere near the gas lines or anything that controls them.  Leave that stuff to the pros.

[tombogan03884]

The way every one was out of the house, (even the pet ) makes it sound suspiciously like insurance fraud.

[fightingquaker13]

The way every one was out of the house, (even the pet ) makes it sound suspiciously like insurance fraud.

The article makes it look that way. Hope its not the case.

[billt]

Gas on? Yeah, grab the cat!