Cell Phone Ignites Gas Station Fire

[Bombardier]

(CBS/AP) Flames shot up around a 21-year-old college student whose cell phone rang while he was pumping gas.

Firefighters said Matthew Erhorn, a SUNY New Paltz student, received minor burns at a Mobil station near the New York State Thurway (Interstate 87) Thursday night.

"I'm very surprised," Erhorn said.

He shouldn't have been. There's a sign at the pumps at the New Paltz gas station warning that cell phones should be turned off for safety while pumping gas.

Firefighters believe the cell phone ignited vapors coming from the car's fuel tank as it was being filled.

It doesn't take much of a charge to ignite gasoline vapors, New Paltz fire chief Patrick Koch told WCBS-AM's Peter Haskell. "Anything, really. Women's nylon stockings when they get out of a vehicle, that can cause a spark, too."

That's why motorists are told "don't use their cell phones when they're pumping gas. Really, it's deadly," Koch said.

The fire was immediately put out by the service station's fire suppression system, using an oxygen-killing powder. That covered other cars in the gas station parking lot as well as nearby trees.

The station will remain closed until the system can be recharged.

New Paltz is about 75 miles north of New York City.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/05/14/...ain617547.shtml

[Redneck4sure]

It was probably the RIAA calling. It is a good thing he didn't take the call. :)

[jipper]

or someone calling him to tell him to turn of his mobile phone at the gas station

[Malicious Intent]

Wow, I always ignore signs like that. If we obeyed every sign, we would be hearded around less if we were cows.

Perhaps this is one to listen to?

naaah.

[NullsRevenge]

This was tested on the TV show Mythbusters and they tested it and said it was a myth, they taped a cell phone to a gas tank and not only that but put a cell phone in a sealed chamber and sprayed a fine mist of gas and called that cell phone trying to get it to ignite. What does cause these types of accident is static electricity causing a spark that ignites the gas fumes from the gas tank and people's first reaction is to pull out the gas nozzle which just causes a larger fire which is what they found out on the show.

[Potato]

This was tested on the TV show Mythbusters and they tested it and said it was a myth, they taped a cell phone to a gas tank and not only that but put a cell phone in a sealed chamber and sprayed a fine mist of gas and called that cell phone trying to get it to ignite. What does cause these types of accident is static electricity causing a spark that ignites the gas fumes from the gas tank and people's first reaction is to pull out the gas nozzle which just causes a larger fire which is what they found out on the show.

It doesn't matter if it's a myth or not... it's the spark like you said that counts. There can be a spark from people jumping in and out of their cars too. People are just flippin idiots. Sometimes there are people that are surprised and upset when I tell them not to smoke at the gas pumps. They also don't like when I tell them not to leave their cars on. Basically, people don't like things that inconvenience them. (I work at a gas station)

[MoonMan]

I've pumped gas with my car on while talking on a cell phone. Does that make me stupid ? Well maybe.

[Bombardier]

I've pumped gas with my car on while talking on a cell phone. Does that make me stupid ? Well maybe.

:rotfl:

It only makes you stupid if the gas station blows up ;)