I don't want to minimize the gravity of what they intended, which was likely to cause a huge explosion, but I don't think that would actually happen.
Most likely if the fire got hot enough and gas wasn't flowing through the building, the regulator (the round thing) would probably explode with enough force to break the glass in that door, and perhaps damage the outside of the building. Once that was gone, the flow of gas would act like a giant blowtorch and burn that side of the building until the gas could be turned off.
But I don't think you'd get a Michael-Bay-Type explosion out of it (fortunately).
Again, I doubt those two domestic terrorists were smart enough to know that though, so their intent should factor in.
I don't want to minimize the gravity of what they intended, which was likely to cause a huge explosion, but I don't think that would actually happen.
Most likely if the fire got hot enough and gas wasn't flowing through the building, the regulator (the round thing) would probably explode with enough force to break the glass in that door, and perhaps damage the outside of the building. Once that was gone, the flow of gas would act like a giant blowtorch and burn that side of the building until the gas could be turned off.
But I don't think you'd get a Michael-Bay-Type explosion out of it (fortunately).
Again, I doubt those two domestic terrorists were smart enough to know that though, so their intent should factor in.