Newspaper: PA man dies from static electricity fire at gas station

[JPZenger]

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2010/03/gas-pump_fire_that_killed_cumb.html

The article in the Harrisburg PA newspaper describes how a 19 year man recently died at a gas pump fire near Harrisburg. This is not urban legend. It was a static electricity fire. He was not smoking and the car engine was not running. He was not using a cell phone.

The way to avoid this is to touch metal on your car to discharge any static before you touch the gas nozzle.

[Dappleganger]

1. I'm curious if a cell phone was involved too. nt

[TommyO]

2. Read the article

Incidentally, Renkes said, the idea that cell phone use has anything to do with such fires is an urban legend.

[HopeHoops]

15. He didn't have his cell phone with him - it was at his home.

[rurallib]

3. few years back a farmer was getting gas from his farm barrel

and removed his light spring coat as the gas was pumping. The coat was nylon. Static electricity and WHOOSH! huge fire.
I believe he lived. His family in the car was burned also.

[SidDithers]

4. Gas fumes and a spark are a bad combination...nt

Sid

[Odin2005]

5. I believe this was on Mythbusters a while ago.

And they proved that it wasn't an urban legend.

[comtec]

24. WAS, they proved it WAS a legend!

they disprove these things all the time. (love mythbusters)

the problem is that static electricity is the culprit every time.
people getting back into their cars and NOT touching the frame, or something large and metallic (grounded) to discharge safely into before grabbing the fuel nozzle.

[Cirque du So-What]

6. My car seats are terrible!

They're like Van de Graaf generators - even when it's not so cold and the relative humidity is higher than in the winter. I'll have to make sure I'm fully discharged in the future.

I believe the newer 'microfiber' fabrics are responsible. My couch & loveseat are upholstered with this material, and it's also a static electricity-generating powerhouse. Shortly after getting the furniture, I was preparing for bed one evening and had turned out most of the lights in the room. I noticed some wrinkles in the seat where I had been sitting, so I began sweeping my hand & forearm over the seat to smooth out the wrinkles. The bright-blue sparks this produced - along with a loud crackling sound - were a bit intimidating. I generate some impressive charges every time I get up from this furniture, so I've learned to discharge myself by touching the drywall before touching anything else - including the wall-mounted light switch, as a spark will jump from one of the screws for attaching the faceplate all the way to the actual plastic switch. I've learned not to discharge myself at an outside corner, as the spark has sufficient energy to jump from the metallic edge guard through a coat of primer & two coats of paint.

[tinymontgomery]

7. Who needs static electricity

In the small town were I live the folks still smoke at the pump and in their cars. They toss the cigs on the ground. Freaked me out when I first got here. Nobody says a word.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

8. If somokers want to kill themselves faster - why stop them?

[blueworld]

9. At least keep the ones who teach spelling. n/t

[gauguin57]

10. Because when THEIR gas pump bursts into flame, mine will too!

One lit butt on the ground will turn into a scene from "The Birds."

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

12. double post. deleted. (n/t)

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

13. True. You could always buy an EV and fore go gas stations altogether!

I'm thinking about getting a Smart Fortwo.
If the EV model comes out by the time I'm ready to make my purchase (and the cost is still relatively low) I might go for it.
EV's are WAY cheaper to operate than even hypermiling in efficient cars. Less maintenance too.
Plus, the electricity in my town is subsidized and dirt cheap.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

11. This is a VERY common problem

It is indeed not urban legend.

What to do:

Always touch metal before inserting and before removing the gas nozzle--particularly when it is dry out. (These incidents are more common in winter. It's drier and if you get back in your car while it's filling up you are probably creating a new static charge by sliding into the seat.

[Romulox]

14. I see (mostly women) get back in their car after starting the pump--DANGEROUS, don't do it! nt

[Shell Beau]

17. I am guilty of it when it is cold outside, but I always make sure to

touch something before I touch the pump.

[Romulox]

19. I think there's a large potential for an unintended discharge when you do that.

For your own safety, please don't get back into your car after you've started the pump!

[Shell Beau]

20. I just got lectured on this the other day. I will really

try my best not to do it. I would hate to blow up the gas station because I did something stupid.

[HopeHoops]

16. I get the Patriot-News. The article today claimed it was only the 2nd such incident in the US.

Still, I wouldn't use a cell phone near a gas pump anyway. Hell, about a month ago some woman got out of her car at one of the other pumps with a LIT CIGARETTE! She headed for the store and put it out in the ashtray on the way in. Fortunately I was gone before she got back. The pump was still there the next day so I guess she didn't blow it up.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

18. I have seen video of at least ten

One of the network news magazines did a story on this a couple of years ago and was citing hundreds of incidents, not some freak thing.

[HopeHoops]

21. Yeah, I'm more of that mind. I was just pointing out what the article said.

There have been a shitload of gas station flash fires. Maybe this is only the second with an "official" cause of static electricity, but there are way too many possible ways to ignite gas with static electricity. Getting back in the car is a major one and cell phones are by their very nature a clear source.

Some years ago, I saw a story about a gas truck driver who came out of the store and saw a woman smoking outside her car - right next to his truck. He bitched her out about it. Her solution was to get in the car and crack the window so she could flick her ashes out through the crack. He bitched a second time and she finally left.

[TommyO]

23. In the article it attributes two deaths due to these types of fires

It also said that there have been almost 200 fires that could be traced to static electricity discharges.

[Tesha]

22. I'll betcha the vapor recovery system at that station was malfunctioning!

(or it was out in the boonies where the EPA still doesn't
mandate the use of such systems.)

With a modern, functioning vapor recovery system, I don't
think there are enough fumes emitted to reach an explosive
concentration; I expect that's a big part of the design criteria
for such systems.

Tesha