In 1987, a fire of unknown origin broke out at a large ammonium perchlorate manufacturing plant in Henderson, Nevada.
Ammonium perchlorate is an oxidizer in solid rocket propellant.
The fire quickly got out of control, and eventually led to the detonation of thousands of pounds of the chemical stored at the site. The detonation demolished the plant and its shock wave caused significant property damage in nearby Las Vegas. Our work included examining and documenting the accident site, testing subscale chemical containers, reconstructing and locating the explosion sequence, and analyzing the metallurgical condition of an underground natural gas pipeline. This case settled in favor of the subrogating carriers. Their telephone extension numbers are listed below.