"Morgans" wrote in message
...

I do know that gas fumes are more dangerous in very damp, humid settings,
even when outdoors. I remember a pile of wet leaves jumping off the
ground
a couple of feet. I also know a guy that was severely burned, trying to
light a wet brush pile, when the fumes jumped back. It seems they hold to
the ground more, or are more concentrated.

Couple of personal anecdotes, here. I remember working as a line boy at
Boeing Field back in the 50's. When we would take the tanker down to "The
Pits" to refill it, we would connect the ground cable, climb up on top, open
the hatch, swing the "elephant pecker" (delivery hose - about 3" diameter)
over the hatch and open the valve 90°. The fuel, either 80/87, 91/96 or
115/145 avgas would spew out of the hose into the tank at a hundred gallons
per minute.

After just a few seconds of flow, you could look down and see static sparks
jumping from the hose to the lip of the hatch. The vapors were too rich to
burn because they were coming out of the hatch as fast as the fuel ran in.
We would swing the hose over until it touched the rim to stop them, but
nobody worried too much. All us line boys were in our teens and immortal.

Years later when I was in the Fire Department, there was an arson on Capitol
Hill in Seattle. A fellow spread five gallons of gas throughout a two-story,
ten unit apartment house. He lit a match when he got to the front door and
threw it in. It was a snowy December day. His efforts were rewarded with a
fire in the hallway, which was quickly extinguished.

The next June, he tried it again. When he struck the match, the fumes
immediately gave a Shrek-sized burp. When we arrived, the entire apartment
house was in flames. I'll always remember the expression on the fellow's
face . . . as he hung there on the power pole across the street, one of
those steel climbing steps protruding from his chest.

Those were the days.

Rich S.