[dirk digler]

It seems tear gas causing fires is not uncommon...

Report: SWAT tear gas rounds likely ignited Calif. fire

According to the report, the tear gas rounds were non-flammable

By Tony Burchyns
San Jose Mercury News

Police tear gas launched into a Vallejo home in February during a SWAT-team standoff played a role in starting a fire that caused $60,000 in damage and killed two dogs, a fire department report released Monday finds.

However, the Feb. 10 two-alarm blaze at 1041 Castlewood Drive was deemed "accidental in nature," according to the 13-page investigation report.

The exact cause was undetermined. But it likely involved one of the non-flammable rounds hitting or knocking over flammable household products, the report said.

The fire began shortly after police launched 12 tear gas rounds into various parts of the house. Police were trying to ferret out as many as six armed robbery suspects believed to be inside. However, it was later determined that the suspects had slipped away before police established a perimeter.

According to the report, the tear gas rounds were non-flammable. But one of the 37-mm projectiles fired through the back door could have penetrated or knocked over a household product containing flammable chemicals. At that point, vapors could have been released and ignited when reaching an ignition source, such as the flame from a nearby water heater.

Under another scenario, a chemical reaction releasing heat could have occurred when the chemicals inside the projectile came into contact with one or more household products stored inside the utility room.

Thirdly, the report said that a tear gas canister, after penetrating the rear door, may have entered the utility room and either knocked over or breached other containers of household products. If this occurred, then those products could have come into contact with each other, creating a heat-generating reaction that ignited other combustibles.