in this case the pressurized air/oxygen within a container (station) and the oxygen itself being a fuel. the explosion was realistic in that it didn't make noise since there was no air to transmit the sound, and the flames died out immediately as the oxygen was expelled into space.

>my inner-space geek got upset, took me back to Armageddon.
>There are no explosions in space Nolan, with all the
>astro-_______ folks onboard try and get the basics down. When
>Damon's airlock decompressed I guess they needed that fire for
>effect, and that's when I fell back in my chair...
>
>I can buy into everything else, even the theory that the Plan
>B race of humans placed the worm hole there, and built the
>5-dimensional arc for McC... but not that damn explosion...
>
>
>****************************
>I don't even love life no more, my niggas I just live it....
>Jean Grae