How did a helium balloon explode and cause fire?



A kid I know was playing with his floating balloon which we assumed that its   

content was only helium, but then we it was squished, it suddenly exploded and cause fire! Does helium burn when popped? Or was the balloon's content was something flammable? Like hydrogen or something! Help!
Actually, it could be either hydrogen or methane. Both have been used but both are HIGHLY flammable, and methane even MORE dangerous than hydrogen is.   

  

I quote from the article cited below:   

  

With Helium being expensive and now subject to shortage, many people are looking for more available and inexpensive alternatives.   

  

But it surprises me that party balloons sold anywhere in the USA are even ALLOWED to be filled with ANYTHING BUT Helium! Regardless of being more expensive and there being a shortage, if I were a RETAILER, I would not want the chance of a LAWSUIT from the damages, medical or otherwise, which can be so READILY caused by using hydrogen or methane.   

  

Do you remember the old TV show from the 1970's, "Love Boat?" The actor who played, "Gopher," Fred Grandy, had his hands horribly burned by balloons that were filled with hydrogen, and were popped and exploded. I quote from second article below:   

  

But in 1982, a scary accident occurred in a Turkish taxi: A cigarette ignited some balloons that were inexplicably filled with hydrogen, injuring Tewes, Grandy, and several others; Grandy suffered severe burns on his hands and face.   

  

So, there you have it. If I were you, I would try to find out WHERE he got that balloon, and then AVOID getting any future "supplies" from them AT ALL!!! You don't want to mess with that dangerous stuff!   

  

  

Me… kittyslave23… I know my place.
answer: oxygen gas is responsible for combustion. combustion is characterized as a rapid exothermic reaction that releases a significant amount of energy in the form of heat and flames as combustion reactions that can spread through a suitable medium. combustion is the outcome of dynamic or time-dependent activities between atoms, molecules, radicals, and solid boundaries at the molecular level. for combustion to occur, three conditions must be met, which are there should be a combustible material. there should be a supporter of combustion. the combustible material is heated to the ignition temperature. the presence of fuel has a significant effect. the existence of oxygen or air. the ignition temperature is kept constant. hot flashes can exist for a number of reasons. a true hot flash usually is very specific and results from a loss of hormones. however, women who have fluctuations of hormones like exists in pregnancy can have similar symptoms. see more... A food with higher specific heat most likely causes burns. For me definitely burning. The nerve pain would be horrendous as they melted away! Or even if I just died of smoke inhalation first I’d still be a worse for if suffocation. I’m fairly comfortable in the water for the most part, at least enough not to panic too much, so I’d rather just hold my breath until I passed out and go into that dream like state and never regain consciousness from a cardiac arrest - is horrible but for me it’d be far more preferable than burning! it could be a random drop or a glitch. if you've got the item and nothing else is wrong with the game, enjoy! a) he helium (he) is an element by itself. he atom can only exhibit dispersion forces.b) hclh          1a                   1 × 1 e– = 1 e–cl         7a                   1 × 7 e– = 7 e–   total: 8 valence e–[readmore]cl is more electronegative than h, so hcl is a polar covalent compound. hcl exhibits dipole-dipole interaction.c) h2oh          1a                   1 × 2 e– = 2 e–o          6a                   1 × 6 e– = 6 e–   total: 8 valence e– since hydrogen is bonded directly to oxygen.h2o exhibits hydrogen bonding.d) cl2cl         7a                   1 × 7 e– = 14 valence e–composed of the same atom. there's no electronegativity difference.cl2 can only exhibit dispersion forces. regardless of the food triggering an allergic reaction the allergic reaction consists of some or all of these symptoms: itchy & swollen of lips, tongue, mouth, throat, nausea, vomiting, cramps, diarrhea, hives, swollen face, eyelids, coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, a sense of doom, dizziness, loss of consciousness. see more... Hi Karina,



Brain hemorrhage can cause various disorders, usually severe because the brain is the center of control of all functions of the human body. Symptoms vary, depending on which part of the brain is affected and its severity. Usually people who experience it will experience disturbance of consciousness.



People whose consciousness is not perfectly aware cannot be given food directly by mouth because they can choke. Food or fluids can enter the lungs and can cause shortness of breath, infection and even death. Brain hemorrhage can also cause swallowing muscles. Usually when treatment will be given liquid nutrition through the hose, and nutrition has been adjusted to age, weight and other disorders that require adjustments to nutritional needs. Usually an IV will be given as an addition to fluids, electrolytes, minerals and as a way to put drugs.



The sound that arises may be the sound of motion of the digestive tract, or it could be because in the digestive tract there is a pile of air, usually people who lie down long and do not move prone to bloating. If there are no other complaints about this and food can enter according to instructions without vomiting up, you don't need to worry.



Brain hemorrhage is a severe disorder, especially if it is suffered by the elderly. Even so keep positive thinking and follow the instructions of the treating doctor because of course he is most aware of the condition of your relatives.



Read the article: Brain Bleeding



Regards, be very careful. hydrogen peroxide can damage you ears and cause serious trouble. see more... I found everything you need to know at [Bulbapedia](http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Natural_objects). 


As just some background info before you click on the link, sometimes objects appear in the background during wild Pokémon battles and certain moves will cause something to happen with the object.