Boy in critical condition after Chesterfield gas pump fire
Clement Britt/Times-Dispatch
Investigators examine the scene of a gas pump fire on Hull Street Road in Chesterfield County. Scorch marks are visible under the left side of the pump.
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Staying safe at the gas pump
Always turn off your engine, ground yourself before pumping gas, and never re-enter your vehicle while refueling. Those are among the more important tips to follow to avoid a fire sparked by static electricity, officials say.
The first rule of thumb is always to stay at the pump while filling your tank.
If you’re wearing polyester or nylon clothing, and if you get to walking and all your clothing rubs together, that creates static electricity,” Chesterfield County fire Capt. Keith Chambers said. The same could happen if you get back into your vehicle and slide against your cloth seat.
If you must move around or get back in your vehicle, you should ground yourself once you return by touching your car or other metal object before touching the fuel handle.
If a static discharge does occur and sparks a fire, the safest thing to do is to leave the nozzle in the tank and walk away. “If you do that, it will flash, and it will go out on its own,” Chambers said.
Motorists also should place gas cans on the ground and not in the back of their pickup trucks while filling them, he said.
Authorities also warn against smoking or lighting matches or lighters while filling up.
And although the American Petroleum Institute says there are no confirmed cases of a cell phone causing a fire at a gas station, phone manufacturers and gas companies warn against using phones while fueling.
— Mark Bowes
Published: February 24, 2009
Updated: February 24, 2009
Static electricity sparked a flash fire today that burned a 10-year-old boy and his mother after they filled their tank at a service station in Chesterfield County, authorities said.
The boy was reported in critical condition tonight at VCU Medical Center with burns to his face and torso. His mother suffered less severe burns, apparently to her hands, and was listed in stable condition, Chesterfield fire Capt. Keith Chambers said.
The identities of the victims were not immediately available.
Within hours of the 8:12 a.m. blaze, fire officials determined that static electricity was the likely cause of the fire at Hull Street and Turner roads.
“It is rare, but it does occur,” said Chambers, Chesterfield’s deputy fire marshal. “There have been documented cases all over the world,” including at least one other case in Chesterfield.
Chambers said that about 10 years ago, a fire started while a man was filling gas cans in the back of his pickup truck in Chester, but he escaped serious injury.
Just before today’s fire, the mother had finished pumping gas and removed the nozzle from her vehicle. The car’s engine apparently was off, witnesses told investigators.
The mother then passed the nozzle to her son, who was returning it to the pump holder when a spark of static electricity ignited gasoline vapors.
The mother told investigators she saw flames around the nozzle’s tip.
“Usually those nozzles have some residual gasoline left in them, depending how you pick them up out of your vehicle,” Chambers said.
Battalion Chief David E. Bailey said firefighters arrived within four minutes of the call. Bailey said a nearby Verizon employee, later identified by the company as Brian Stanley, took off his coat and helped extinguish the flames on the boy.
There was little trace of the fire today, aside from a few black scorch marks near the pump. The car was not damaged.
Although the investigation is continuing, fire officials said they are almost certain that static electricity is to blame. Chambers said static electricity is common at this time of the year, because the air is so dry.
Verizon spokesman Harry J. Mitchell said Stanley, the service technician who assisted the boy, declined to be interviewed about his actions. Another man helped at the scene.
Stanley, a 40-year-old King William County resident, was servicing a Verizon pay phone at the station, Mitchell said. Stanley installs and services pay phones throughout the Richmond area.
“He feels he was just fulfilling his obligation to do the right thing,” Mitchell said. “And he hopes that someone would do the same for him or his family in similar circumstances.”
Contact Mark Bowes at (804) 649-6450 or .
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Reader Reactions
Thank you to the good Samaritan for helping this child. It is very difficult to know when to step in and know if you are doing the right thing. I think this incident is something that will always be on their minds. Unfortunately, things are being learned from this. Also, like one poster said, take time to read the warning signs posted at the tanks.
A thank-you to the Verizon employee who selflessly sprung into action in an effort to extinguish the flames that burned this child without considering the personal risks involved in doing so. The world would be a better place if we had more unselfish folks like that.
First, my prayers to this young man and his mom.
A couple of weeks ago I was pumping gas in my car and happened to notice the sign on the gas pump that give a list of “do’s and don’ts. I don’t think I have ever seen this type of sign before—but I am also sure that it is probably on every pump at all service stations. Anyway, the sign stated exactly what others here are saying about not getting back into your car among other things - but it also mentioned not using your cell phone at the pump because of the chance of causing a fire. This tragic incident validates why the information on these signs is important and I hope that everyone will now stop, read and adhere to those signs.
Anytime the humidity, dew point and temps are low, there is the possibility of static electricity setting of fuel vapors.
Gasoline vapors are dense and tend to linger near the ground, especially on a cold, dry day, rather than being diffused upward, so the possibility of ignition is increased.
Always touch a metal surface before picking up handle, put the nozzle in the filler neck and remove when gas shuts off. DO NOT CONTINUE TO TRY TO FILL THE TANK ONCE IT SHUTS OFF. Then wait a couple of seconds for any residual gas to go back into the nozzle and lift out of the filler neck. Do not hand off to anyone else, as what happened today. The mother was OK, but the child generated the static spark which caused the fire. The child should have remained in the car while the mother filled up. There was no reason for the child to be outside, even if he were “helping” his mother.
Also, try to stay in one spot, do not go back into the car for anything until AFTER FILLING AND REPLACING THE NOZZLE. Have your cash or credit card and your keys in your hand, so that you don’t have to go scrounging inside for them once you have begun filling up.
Also, many pumps tell you NOT to use a cell phone while in the process of filling because static electricity can cause a fire or explosion. I see this all the time and it scares me.
This is so sad. xyz you were right, I see people all the time get back in there cars and it scares the heck out of me if i’m pumping gas myself, because I have seen what static electricity can do. Right now the dew point and humidity are so low that’s it’s really bad, please people be careful. God bless the boy and mother.
Very very sad incident. Most of the cars have carpeted floors and when we step on it, a static electricity developes, which we carry with us outside. Also wearing nylon and other synthetic fibre made clothings cause static electricity in our body. This can cause a tiny spark. To avoid this, before pulling the nozle out, touch the metal part of the gas pump which are electrically grounded, and will take away the electric charge from your body and ground it. Don’t re-enter the car after started fueling because in cold weather people lock the gas nozzle and sit in the car untill gas filling stops and then come out to place nozle back into the pump. This can bring static electric charge in your body because you have rubbed your feet on the floor carpet. Safe thing to do in this case is to touch again the metal part of the pump to ground the electricity out. We all should pray for the victims’ recovery.
I agree with you. I use this gas station often and this is just one of those unfortunate accidents that could of happen to anyone at anytime. I pray that this child make a quick recovery.
Wow that is such a freak accident. The air is so dry the last few weeks I have been getting shocked much harder than normal every time I get in and out of my car or turn off light switches at home. Now we have to worry about gas pumps? I hope this kid and mom make it out ok.
This is really sad and rarely do you hear about the static electricity effects at the gas pumps. Our prayers are with this child and his mother.
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