Wonder why the fire extinguisher reacted so violently? The normal "run of the mill" extinguisher is filled with nitrogen to 100 psi. And there is nothing else in them that will burn to add to the violence.
Oh, Crap: Of course!! It must have been a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher (CO2). Them are filled with liquid CO2, which is at about 900 psi at room temperature. The pressure must have been going up fast as he was heating it to cut it.
I've heard all sorts of stories about guys stealing the big oxygen cylinders for laughs at the campfire. They'd rig up a launching trough out of a few 2x4's, lay the cylinder in there, valve down, and knock the valve off with an axe. Apparently they go quite a ways with 2200 psi!
You're 110% right about the safety warning aspect. Lots of people are totally unaware of the dangers of pressurized tanks--and probably don't even know how to identify a pressurized tank--it can be as innocent as a household propane cylinder or a hairspray can.
Jon.
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