Sodium decomposes the water itself and releases hydrogen which the sodium ignites as it burns in air. Liquid or pulverized metals are more risky than you think

Sodium decomposes the water itself and releases hydrogen which the sodium ignites as it burns in air. Liquid or pulverized metals are more risky than you think. Powdered nickel not only is a flammable solid, it spontaneously ignites too. But sodium is much more reactive, it can be rapdily oxidized by many more surprising things than oxygen or water. There's always this, kilos of molten sodium can lead to unexpected problems: https://www.csb.gov/t2-laboratories-inc-reactive-chemical-explosion/ https://www.csb.gov/t2-laboratories-inc-reactive-chemical-ex... There was a mushroom cloud but it was not nuclear.