A tabletop demonstration about the mechanics of tornadoes turned dangerous Wednesday when the presenter applied the chemicals in the wrong sequence and a flash fire resulted, according to an article in The Huffington Post. Thirteen people were injured at the Terry Lee Wells Nevada Discovery Museum, most of them children.
The employee poured alcohol onto a cotton ball that had been dusted with boric acid and partially ignited. The alcohol is meant to precede the boric acid and the flame. Reno firefighters were called to the scene and the Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating. Methyl alcohol and boric acid are often combined because they can create green flames.
