Attempt At Home Biofuel Production Leaves 20 In Portland Homeless After Fire

[hatrack]

About 20 people from a SE Portland apartment complex were forced out of their homes after a botched science experiment sent toxic fumes throughout their building.

Dave Centers with the Portland Fire Bureau said crews responded to a smoke in a building call at SE 12th and Harrison around 9:00 p.m. Saturday.

Arriving crews reported a haze in the air that they though may have come from a fire extinguisher. Centers said smoke was actually coming from an apartment where the resident was trying to make his own biofuel.

Thom Gambaro apologized, saying he was trying to help the environment. He said he was combining chemicals in a garage he rents with his apartment in the hopes of generating a reaction that would produce hydrogen. He hopes to harness that hydrogen for power.

EDIT

http://www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/kgw_050608_news_hazmat_fire.42f475a4.html

[phantom power]

1. must.... resist....

sarcastic comments... my only hope -- tie myself to tree....

[NNadir]

2. Well, he was trying to be free of dangerous corporate energy giants.

We all know distributed energy will smash the corporate beasts forever.

[juno jones]

3. Hydrogen is so stupid, dangerous, insert other here

Just get biodiesel and use relatively inert (compared to HYDROGEN!!!) materials like cooking grease. My restaurant throws away 3 gals twice a week. Wish I had a diesel rabbit to stick that in...