Surveillance Cam Footage of Truck Catching Fire

By Abbey Brown
www.thetowntalk.com
http://www.thetowntalk.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080303/NEWS01/80303058

A Woodworth, La. man was pumping gas into a metal gas can in the bed of his pickup truck around 3:40 p.m. Sunday, 02 March 2008, at the Kroger fueling station in Alexandria, La. when a spark caused by static electricity ignited the gasoline vapors, quickly engulfing the truck and nearby gas pump, Alexandria Fire Prevention Officer Chad Parker said.

"When the gasoline was being flowed into the metal can, it can cause a static charge," Parker said. "When that can is sitting on a plastic bed liner, the plastic liner prevents the charge from grounding. And as the charge builds, it can create a spark between the can and the nozzle, igniting the vapors. And on Sunday it did just that."

If the gas can had been sitting on the ground, this fire never would have happened, Parker said. There are several notices on the pumps warning of the dangers of static electricity and gasoline instructing people to stay off their cell phone, to ground themselves before fueling and to always fill gas canisters on the ground, not in their vehicle. That advice, he said, is important to follow.

Although a fire caused by static electricity is very rare, the risk is still there, Parker said. And any kind of fire at a fueling station is extremely dangerous because of the amount of fuel there.

"If the conditions had been different, it could have been much, much more disastrous," Parker said. "The man was very lucky he wasn't hurt and the fire wasn't worse."

A few simple tips can prevent the discharge of static electricity while fueling gas, eliminating the risk altogether, he said. Most gas stations have a sticker of a handprint on the pumps instructing patrons to "Touch here" before pumping.

Parker said to follow those instructions, and if there isn't such a spot, you should touch anything metal but your vehicle before fueling. And if you go back into your vehicle while fueling, it is critical to once again touch something metal to ground yourself before touching the fuel handle, Parker said.