Northern Ireland Outdoors Forum - Hiking, camping and more
General => General Chat => Topic started by: RedLeader on July 29, 2013
-
There was a story on the BBC news (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-23457489) website over the weekend about a GP who wanted to burn garden rubbish and used petrol to start the fire. Tragically, he died after 2 weeks in intensive care after the fumes ignited engulfing him in a ball of fire.
Mrs Peel said: "It had started to rain and I suspect the pile he had made got wet and he decided to give it a helping hand - he would never have thrown petrol onto a lit bonfire.
"What happens is the vapour from petrol spreads around the ground, clings to your clothes and when he lit the bonfire he was enveloped in a ball of flame."
I've never used petrol to start a fire, I have used meths or multifuel in small quantities in emergencies but I honestly never realised that there was this much of a risk from petrol, it seems like something we should (sensitively) discuss from a safety perspective.
-
Not nice....
Fuel burns....fumes go boom.
Pour it on and light it quick, take too long or use to much fuel, bad stuff's going to happen.
-
I'll have to assume this chap was plain old uneducated about such things as it would be sheer insanisty to do it knowing anything about flammable liquids. I would never use anything like real fuel for fires, it's just too risky. Even meths/etc can catch you out if your not careful. With meths i always use a little less than i think i need, never top up a light stove and always allow it to burn out. I've messed about with meths and the like before and even that will try to ignite up a squirted blast. It will act like a river of fire if you tip it out.
Oh and my fuel is always stored in a drybag in its own pocket, the last thing i want is to flick a firesteel to make a brew, only to get burned because the fuel leaked onto a wolly hat etc.
But with the amount of explosions on telly and films you have to wonder what goes through someones mind to believe pouring petrol on a fire is the right action.