Retired Firefighter Warns Petrol Can Explode In Cars While Being Carried In Jerry Cans

A former firefighter has warned petrol panic buyers about the dangers of carrying large amounts of fuel in your car.

Retired firefighter Steve Dudeney shared a photo from an incident he was called out to while working with the London Fire Brigade in which a man was left 'badly burnt'.

Posting the photo on Twitter, he wrote: "This is a photo from an incident I attended 12 years ago.

"The man driving the car had filled some petrol containers up and placed them in the boot.

"The escaping petrol vapour met an ignition source in his car, this was the result. Panic buyers beware!!

"He was still alive but badly burned when I arrived, airlifted to a burns unit, I never heard if he survived."

In a second tweet, he described a second similar incident, writing: "Went to a call on Wennington's ground once, same thing.

"VW Golf with a boot full of petrol cans, the vapour found and ignition source and boom!!! Driver severely burned, not sure if he survived."

Alamy

Steve shared the tweets as motorists up and down the country have rushed out to stockpile fuel.

Legally, drivers are able to store up to 30 litres of fuel, in a maximum of two suitable containers, in their car.

It must be kept away from passengers with the containers' caps screwed on tightly.

Fire services recommend that people don't fill them to the brim as the fuel can expand, which increases pressure and allows petrol vapour to build up, which can end up in an explosion.

Despite this, images on social media show people filling up several containers in the boots of their car, with little regard for the potential dangers.

The rush to buy fuel has prompted one supplier to whack a £30 limit on its pumps to ensure a 'fair chance to refuel' for all.

The EG Group, which owns 389 filling stations across the UK, said that 'unprecedented customer demand' has led them to limit the amount of petrol per customer, so as to give everyone a fair crack at the pump.

A statement from the company explained: "Due to the current unprecedented customer demand for fuel and associated supply challenges we have taken the decision to introduce a limit of £30 per customer on all of our grades of fuel.

"This excludes HGV drivers and emergency services due to their vital role at this time."

Topics: UK News

Claire Reid

Claire is a journalist at LADbible who, after dossing around for a few years, went to Liverpool John Moores University. She graduated with a degree in Journalism and a whole load of debt. When not writing words in exchange for money she is usually at home watching serial killer documentaries surrounded by cats. You can contact Claire at [email protected]

@ClaireReid19