Incident Title   Australian Fireworks Factory Explodes   Location Date of Incident   Perth, Australia 3/6/2002- 9:00 AM   CSB Incident Number NRC Report Number Board Ref. Number   2002-5454 None Reported None Reported   Current Status Date of Report Update   No CSB Action 3/6/2002 - 10:23 AM   Incident Types Location Types   - Explosion - Fire Fixed Facility   Evacuations Injuries Fatalities   Yes - Number Unknown None None   Chemicals Involved   - Fireworks   Description or Latest Development   ----- Information Added: Wednesday, March 6, 2002 - 10:32 AM ----- A fireworks factory exploded Wednesday (3/6/2002) in the western city of Perth, shaking houses and sending a pall of brown smoke drifting over the city. Nobody was injured. The explosion ripped through the Cardile Fireworks factory, which authorities said contained about 13 tons of fireworks. Several bushfires, sparked by the explosion, blanketed the entire city in brown smoke and forced the evacuation of one school and hundreds of residents within an 800-metre radius. The series of blasts and ongoing "popping" noises were heard and felt across the metropolitan area. Householders near the blast reported fallen ceilings, broken windows and books falling from shelves. The explosion is believed to have started when an employee accidentally dropped a box of fireworks on top of another as he and owner Jim Cardile were sorting fireworks for a display this weekend. Worker Pat Karena said a firework ignited as he pulled it out of its casing, probably through friction, causing a chain reaction.   Sources ( * indicates the original source) Source Details   Media AAP 03/06/2002    Media - Associated Press * 03/06/2002 03:39:34