Things not to do when siphoning gasoline.
MUKWONAGO, Wis. – Police said a man was arrested after he used a cigarette lighter while trying to siphon gasoline from a van. The man, who was visiting friends, went to drive home early Saturday but realized that he didn’t have enough gas in his SUV.
Police said the man tried to siphon the gas with help from another woman, but he couldn’t see how much gas was in the container, so he used the lighter to check.
A blast of fire burned his hands and caused nearby residents to call police.
Police said he and the woman were located later in a store parking lot. He was arrested for theft and negligent use of burning materials.
The thief is lucky it was only his hands. People using lighters around flammable materials has been a common occurrence in my life. From gas attendants filling up your vehicle with a lit cigarette in one hand, to someone taking out a lighter with oxygen tanks in use nearby. No one ever seems to think an explosion will happen to them.
