Burnt at the pump. That’s exactly what’s happening to car owners these days when gasoline prices peak. But when I say burnt at the pump, I mean literally.
Yes, fueling your auto the wrong way could lead to flash fires. True, innocent mistake could trigger dangerous aftermath.
“With that kind of fire, there are several thousand gallons of gas that are right beneath the pumps underground,” said Vancouver Fire Department Marshall Greg Wormser. “And that fire can burn as long as that fuel is there.”
Fumes can leak from the pump nozzle and the fuel tank during fueling. Without you knowing it, the vehicle’s static electricity can be transferred to you if you get in and out of the auto repeatedly. What’s more alarming is the fact that static build up can trigger vapors to ignite if you get near to the fumes near the pump.
If enough static is built up, it can cause the vapors to ignite if you come too close to the fumes near the pump. “The fuel doesn’t ignite, but the vapor from the fuel,” Wormser said in an interview with
MSNBC.
According to
Fowler Associates, about 100 static-sparked fires occur at gas stations annually. To note, most flash fires are caused by avoidable mistakes while fueling. “I’ve worked on these tragic accidents, and have seen cars blow up from static at the gas pump,” said John Fagan, professor of electrical and computer engineering for the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Okla.
How do you avoid flash fires at the pump? Fagan suggests not getting in and out of your car while pumping gas, wearing shoes with rubber soles that can “ground” you, and discharging static by touching the nozzle tip to a metal surface that’s away from the gas tank before fueling.
“The strongest tool in the prevention tool box is people knowing that these fires do in fact occur, and know the conditions under which they occur,” noted Robin Rorick, a spokesman for the
American Petroleum Institute.
Just a word of caution: wrong fueling can cause you and your community great trouble, so be extra cautious. You don’t wanna experience third-degree burn, do you? Or do you want that gruesome death?
Sure, you make sure that every car part is in good working condition. You ensure the quality of your aftermarket parts. But do you consider the innocent mistakes you've been doing over and over again all this time?
