BLEVE
Government & Politics abbreviation · Emergency Services
| Stands for | Boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion |
|---|---|
| Categories | Government & Politics |
BLEVE stands for Boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion, an emergency services abbreviation.
Violent rupture of a pressurized container holding a liquid above its boiling point, such as a propane tank heated by fire, which releases a fireball and flying fragments. BLEVEs are one of the deadliest hazards for firefighters.
Example: Pull back to 2,000 feet; that propane tanker could BLEVE any minute.
Usage notes
Pronounced "BLEV-ee." A 1973 propane rail car BLEVE in Kingman, Arizona, killed 11 firefighters. Cooling a tank with large volumes of water can prevent rupture, but unmanned monitors are used when the risk is high. Emergency response guides recommend large evacuation distances.
Related abbreviations
More emergency services abbreviations
- AHJ – Authority having jurisdiction
- AMBER – America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response
- APCO – Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials
- ARES – Amateur Radio Emergency Service
- AVL – Automatic vehicle location
- BC – Battalion chief
- CAD – Computer-aided dispatch
- CBRN – Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear
- CERT – Community Emergency Response Team
- DMAT – Disaster Medical Assistance Team
- E911 – Enhanced 911
- EAS – Emergency Alert System