[1] The explosion was caused by the deliberate activation of a novel carbon dioxide fire extinguishment system during an acceptance test as part of final commissioning.
The US Army was not responsible for design, construction and operation of storage facilities at the time, but the fuel involved was the property of the United States.
[1] Although the ability of liquefied CO2 to create static electricity upon depressurization was reported as early as in 1925, it was unknown to the tank designers and not identified in the official investigation[1] of the accident by the US Army.
The accident has relevance today as it demonstrates the dangers of static electricity when injecting carbon dioxide into an ignitable atmosphere.
This has happened in the fast-growing wood pellet industry where trouble with smoldering fires in storage silos has led to new techniques for firefighting which employ injection of inert gases such as carbon dioxide.