Brigham Young University student preparing rocket fuel causes massive explosion

A Brigham Young University student was preparing homemade rocket fuel on a dormitory stove when the concoction suddenly exploded into a huge “ball of fire”, according to campus police.

The explosion from the Experiment Gone Wrong set off fire alarms and sprinklers in Heritage Halls around 4:30 p.m. Sunday, flooding parts of the building, BYU police said. Campus police and the Provo Fire Department responded to the scene.

“Flames from the explosion had engulfed the walls and ceiling around the stove and the intense heat set off the fire sprinkler system. Firefighters quickly secured the scene and were able to extinguish the remnants of the fire,” police wrote in a statement.

Police said no one was injured in the blast, but 22 residents of the dormitory were displaced due to flooding. Cops said the building suffered “extensive damage”.

Photos released by the department show charred kitchen cabinets and the ceiling above the stove. Responders can be seen walking through the deep waters of the hallways of the building.

“Please keep your experiments in the lab and supervised by trained professionals,” police said.

According to BYU’s website, dorm residents share a kitchen with up to six people.

Officials did not say why the student was trying to make rocket fuel or if he had been disciplined by the university.

“It is clear that this situation could have been much worse and we are grateful that no one was injured,” BYU police said in an update Monday. “We urge students to be aware of the circumstances around them and to consider how their actions may affect not only themselves, but others as well.”