Woman singed

in gas pump fire
By Melanie Davis
melanie@highcountrymedia.net

Stop, drop and roll proved effective for a Boone woman after gasoline fumes ignited Tuesday evening while she was refueling her mother’s vehicle.

Candis Amber Watson, 24, stated she set the pump and got back in the car to avoid the cold weather. She then exited the vehicle and reached for the pump. Static electricity sparked on the pump handle igniting the fumes surrounding her hand. “It all happened so fast, I pulled the pump out of the car, thinking I would avoid further damage, and flames shot over my head,” Watson said.

The flames caught Watson’s clothing on fire. Thinking quickly, she dropped to the ground and rolled to extinguish her clothing. The station’s attendant dialed 911 as patrons of the convenience store ran outside to assist Watson by pouring beverages onto the vehicle.

Boone Fire Department responded, though Watson was not transported to the emergency room at that time. “I did not think I had been hurt, but went to the emergency room later due to pain in my right hand and arm. The doctor in the emergency room told me I had first and second degree chemical burns,” Watson said.

The sleeve of the sweatshirt Watson was wearing had melted, but not to her skin. Her scarf was also burned.

Her face was not injured, though the flames reached over her head. Watson’s eyebrows, eyelashes and hair were singed.

Watson said she had not used her cell phone while in the car waiting for the pump to stop. “I just didn’t think to ground myself after sliding in and out of the car. You don’t think this is possible until it happens,” she said.

Experts say there is not one confirmed instance of a cell phone causing a fire at a gas station. However wireless carriers and gas companies warn against using cell phones while fueling.

Boone Fire Department is continuing to investigate the incident.

Pump precautions
• Do not get back in the car while refueling. If you must get back in the car, always touch a metal part of the vehicle such as the door or other metal surface away from the gas fill point before returning to the refueling area. Touching metal reduces the build up of static electricity and minimizes the likelihood of fire. Women should be extremely careful since 75 percent of the victims of gas pump static electricity fires are women who have gone back into their cars to tend to children, or to get their purse.
• Do not smoke, light matches or lighters while refueling
• Turn off the engine during refueling
• Put the vehicle in park, set the emergency brake, Do not over fill or top-off your vehicle tank which can cause gasoline spillage.
• When putting gasoline into a container, use only an approved portable container and place it on the ground when refueling to avoid a possible static electricity ignition of fuel vapors.
• Containers, according to the API, should never be filled while inside a vehicle or its trunk, the bed of a pickup truck or the floor of the trailer.
• If a fire starts while you're refueling, don't remove the nozzle from the vehicle or try to stop the flow of gasoline. Immediately leave the area and call for help.
Source: American Society of Safety Engineers