Blue Flame, Gear Freak and Others in the Atlanta Area, -Is that Great Smoke Plume Visible to you? How Does it Look from your Vantage Point?

I'm of course speaking of the Great Conyers Warehouse Fire.

From what I've seen on the Network News over the last day or two, -It's Quite a Smoke Plume which Seems to Go Off Miles on End!

I certainly Don't Enjoy Fires or Other Tragedies. But am Curious as to How such a Major Plume Really Looks to you Down There.

News Reports said it is Drifting East. From DeKalb County, a Place I've once Visited. (Stone Mountain and Etc).

Just Naturally Curious.

The Sooner they Get this Fire, and it's Great Source of Air Pollution Out, -the Better! [color:"black"] [/color] [email]ScottRezaLogan[/email]

Sorry for the late reply, Scott. I'm located about 55 miles (88 km) from the site of the accident, so I couldn't see the smoke plume. However, some folks reported that they could make out the smoke from the top of Kennesaw Mountain, which is about the same distance away ( http://www.nku.edu/~dahlem/GA%202000/gakennesaw_mountain.htm ).

As a follow-up, I've learned that the chlorine that burned in Conyers was in powdered rather than gaseous form. This was very fortunate, since compressed chlorine gas is much more combustible than the powdered form. One of the emergency agencies suggested sheltering in place for residents outside the hot zone, by turning off air conditioning and keeping doors and windows closed for a few hours.

I think that chlorine gas is similar to phosgene, which was used in WW-1. Both of them are pretty bad stuff.

In central air conditioning, unless you have an outside air mixing intake, there is no reason to turn off the A/C since you are just recirculating house air.

The main concern is for window units that have a setting for taking in outside air or if you live in a very currently built home with provisions for outside air exchange.

Another warning that should have been issued is to not use any exhaust fans in the living area. Mother nature abhors a vacumn and air being exhausted will be made up with outside air coming in through any unsealed area from the outside.

Few of the YA-HOO'S that issue these kinds of warnings are sufficiently schooled in HVAC-R.

Bountyhunter