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I just used 50 yards as an overly cautious example.

I haven't done enough research to feel comfortable giving a number, but it should be well under 50ft even.

You do make a good point that this won't be an option for everyone. If you live in a dense city without yards, I guess this is one fun project I'd take a pass on. If you live in a standard suburb you are probably okay at least in terms of space.

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Have you done any research into the potential energy release?

Here is a decent primer. At about 26:30 they talk about battery failure testing. They have a 2 ton blast door in the room where tests are conducted.

http://www.pbs.org/video/nova-search-super-battery/

Since they noted an 1800 degree flame (for what looked like an extended period), I wanted to look up the temperature at which cinder blocks failed, and came across this[1]. Apparently, depending how "cinder" your cinder blocks are, they might actually catch fire. :/

1: http://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=94710

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