Photo: Citrus County Fire Rescue
With all the panic buying of gasoline across the U.S. East Coast, something like this was bound to happen. One driver stocked up on gasoline and lost his Hummer in a predictable fire.
Citrus County Fire Rescue tells Fox13 that the man had just filled four 5-gallon (19-liter) containers with gasoline at a gas station in Homosassa, Florida when his car caught fire. He had placed all the canisters in the back of the car.
When the fire rescue arrived at the scene, the vehicle was completely engulfed in flames. It took first-responders 10 minutes to extinguish the blaze but the Hummer is a loss despite the quick response.
Some online reports claim that the man basically filled his Hummer with gasoline and then lit up a cigarette as he was driving. There is no confirmation of that as of this moment: in fact, Citrus County Fire Rescue stresses that the investigation into the cause of the fire is still ongoing. It’s best not to jump to conclusions, then.
That said, the incident serves as a sharp (and expensive) reminder that gasoline should always be stored and transported properly. Last weekend, the largest pipeline in the U.S., Colonial Pipeline, was hit by a ransomware attack that shut it down, and it’s yet to resume full operations. That has led to supply shortages across the East Coast, with panic buying adding to the shortage.
The other day, federal agency United States Consumer Product Safety Commission urged car owners to use only approved containers for gasoline and never ever fill plastic bags with it. This Hummer driver did not go as far as to use plastic bags, but he clearly didn’t follow through with proper safeguards.
Fire safety laws in the United States note that, in addition to using only special canisters with a lid to store and transport gasoline, you’re allowed to travel with a maximum of 6 gallons (22.7 liters) in a spare container. Simple math would put the Hummer owner on the wrong side of the law. The good news is that, at the very least, he wasn’t injured badly: the report notes that EMTs urged him to go to the hospital for a checkup, but he refused, saying he was ok.
When the fire rescue arrived at the scene, the vehicle was completely engulfed in flames. It took first-responders 10 minutes to extinguish the blaze but the Hummer is a loss despite the quick response.
Some online reports claim that the man basically filled his Hummer with gasoline and then lit up a cigarette as he was driving. There is no confirmation of that as of this moment: in fact, Citrus County Fire Rescue stresses that the investigation into the cause of the fire is still ongoing. It’s best not to jump to conclusions, then.
That said, the incident serves as a sharp (and expensive) reminder that gasoline should always be stored and transported properly. Last weekend, the largest pipeline in the U.S., Colonial Pipeline, was hit by a ransomware attack that shut it down, and it’s yet to resume full operations. That has led to supply shortages across the East Coast, with panic buying adding to the shortage.
The other day, federal agency United States Consumer Product Safety Commission urged car owners to use only approved containers for gasoline and never ever fill plastic bags with it. This Hummer driver did not go as far as to use plastic bags, but he clearly didn’t follow through with proper safeguards.
Fire safety laws in the United States note that, in addition to using only special canisters with a lid to store and transport gasoline, you’re allowed to travel with a maximum of 6 gallons (22.7 liters) in a spare container. Simple math would put the Hummer owner on the wrong side of the law. The good news is that, at the very least, he wasn’t injured badly: the report notes that EMTs urged him to go to the hospital for a checkup, but he refused, saying he was ok.
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