Author Topic: Been gone. Got burned. Be careful... (Read 2082 times)

Land_Owner · « **on:** June 22, 2005, 09:56:48 AM »

Greetings from the Dismal Swamp (Florida).

I have been gone from this forum for quite some time and am now recovered sufficiently to warn everyone:

PLEASE be careful when using accelerants (gasoline) to start a fire!!!

I never saw it coming. I was repariing my Case gasoline tractor. I took 1.25 gallons of water contaminated bad gasoline from its tank, spread it over some downed citrus trees to be burned, laid out three lengths of garden hose, charged the hose, got the matches, and when I returned and struck a match from 4 feet away from the pile, my world went up in flames (from 90 degrees F to over 900+ degrees F in 100 milliseconds).

It was a calm day. The heavier than air gasoline fumes had setteld into the depression in which I was standing. I never saw or smelled it coming.

My 13 year old says "The fire went boom! Dad said the "F" word and started rolling around in the grass." It took about 1500 milliseconds (1.5 seconds) for me to overcome my own inertia to get out of the hot expanding gases. I got 2nd Degree burns over 30% of total body. Fortunately, I will recover 100% (about 60% now), but have to remain out of the sun for another year to prevent skin cancer and pigmentation differentiation. Oxy-Contin is a dog of a chemical to shake! It gave me depression going off cold turkey.

We have all used gasoline as an accelerant at one time or another. Please take my bad experience to heart. I would NEVER want anyone to go through this. Just take precautions.

1. Use diesel or kerosene - NOT GASOLINE!
2. Have your precautionary methods in place BEFORE adding the accelerant (if you have to).
3. Do not wait to strike the match as the advancing fumes are the threat! 4. Wear face protection, long pants, long sleeves, socks and shoes. I was wearing shorts, a tee shirt, and shoes without socks. You can change to shorts later.

Thanks for your consideration and I look forward to being back into hunting shape by the end of the Summer.

------------------
Fair Chase,
Land Owner
Personal Loading Data and Web Page

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #1 on:** June 22, 2005, 10:58:20 AM »

Sorry to read about your accident. Hope you recover 100%. I let my son read the story as well. Glad to have you back.

Glanceblamm · « **Reply #2 on:** June 22, 2005, 04:52:04 PM »

Again, was sorry to hear about your accident. I had my son & son-in-law read your story.

Nixter · « **Reply #3 on:** June 22, 2005, 06:40:29 PM »

Land_owner, I hope your recovery goes well. Gasoline may be convienient but darn dangerous...

I hope your story will remind others to be mindful when starting that burn barrel or brush pile.

Gasoline in a burn barrel will act like a cannon as the fumes sink to the bottom of the barrel.

My brother lit a burn pile with gasoline not long ago and I 'bout near lost my pony-tail. ( I was walking away from the pile at the time)

I was real close to laying him out but Ma was there and it was too soon after Dad's funeral to start a fight...

The oxycontin is whole 'nother issue. Hang on tight it might be a bumpy ride.

God, family and your own inner strength will be your friends here.

Nixter

bullet maker · « **Reply #4 on:** June 23, 2005, 09:30:17 AM »

Good story land-owner. Just goes to show you can`t be to careful. I had to laugh at the point that your son said you used the F word.

. Been there myself.

. Happened after getting home from church, and thought we would charcoal some hamburgers, in the back yard. Will, I used to much lighter fluid. I shouted the F-word and more. My daughter ran to the house, and spelled the beans on me.
Then another time, a friend of mine Bob , which was a bigshot for Zebco reel co. came over and wanted to do some charcoaling. I left him alone to get the coals going, as I went to the store to get hamburger buns.
will when I got back home --poor bob had all of his clothes smoldering, with holes everwhere. He dove in the swimming pool to put the fire out. He had used the charcoal lighter fluid to get one more squirt on the already burning coals. The fire followed the stream of lighter fluid right up to the can he was holding, and he was on fire in a split second. The whole church crowd heard some new type of speaking in tongues

.
I fired him from starting anymore charcoal, but he is a hell-of-a-zebco salesman.

bullet maker

He just got first degree burns, cause the swimming pool was right there.

Norseman112 · « **Reply #5 on:** July 01, 2005, 03:50:42 PM »

Land_Owner

I am so sorry to hear about your accident. Gasoline is pretty dangerous and I had my sons read this. I wish you a full recovery.

Norse

Lost Okie · « **Reply #6 on:** July 12, 2005, 04:24:14 PM »

Land Owner, sorry to here about your experience. Only thing that kept me from being where you are is the wife. Burning trash at the garden, spilled a little gas on it to start it, walked back to get a match, walked back up ready to strike and wife yelled, she could see fumes all around me, I walked back about 20 paces, threw the match on the ground at WOOF... got very lucky,
I have since read stories of guys working on carburerator in garage, struck the lighter for a cigarette and set themselves and the garage on fire.... good luck..

Land_Owner · « **Reply #7 on:** July 13, 2005, 02:32:45 AM »

All of your support is sincerely appreciated.

Topical burns are especially difficult to heal. The skin is a wonderful organ, but it is intricately tied to the other organs and when picked on (burned) the others gang up in defense. There is a lot of unbalance to overcome. Time is needed.

I am greatful to be writing, tugging at the bit to get back outside to do some chores, but know that too soon spells disaster for my anticipated full recovery. It has only been 6 weeks and a few days.

My sole reason for this post is being rewarded. It is good that you are telling your children and others about this hazard. We often hear it but rarely heed it. I heard it and didn't. I am paying for that.

As I said, I would NEVER want anyone to go through this!

rockbilly · « **Reply #8 on:** September 07, 2005, 06:53:37 AM »

Land Owner, Glad you are back and hope you are doing well.

I had an experience with gasoline many years ago where a very dear friend lost two daughters as a result of gasoline. We had been fishing and I was dropping him off at his home in a new housing area. As we were unloading the boat his two daughters ( three and five years old) appeared with paint all over them. His wife had just went next door so he tried to wipe the paint off the girls. It wouldn't come off and he asked for gas from my outboard. I advised him against using the gas since it may burn their skin. He said he would put them in the bathtub, run some water, wipe the paint off and immediately wash the gas off. He took about a quart of gas and took the girls to the bath room. I was standing outside looking down the hallway when I heard a SWOOSH, then seen the fire coming from the bath room. The explosion blew my friend out of the bathroom, I could see him on the floor near the door. I rushed in, grabbed a blanket off the sofa and went into the bathroom, I couldn't see, but felt an arm, I lifted the child and slid her across the floor and reached for the other one. By then it was so hot and I was being burned so I backed out. My friend had regained his senses and went back in and got the youngest daughter. I went out, dropped the boat trailer and put him and the two girls in my car and rushed them to the hospital. One died almost immediately, the other one was doing fairly well for about two weeks, but she finally died too. My friend was burned very bad, his lips, eyes, hands and upper body. (he did not have a shirt on). I had burns on my hands, arms, face and lips, but recovered quite well and today you can barely tell I was burned.

What happened, they had a two month old son, the wife had just give the baby a bath and had a space heater on in the bathroom. When my friend went in he did not notice the space heater being on. He took a wash cloth, wiped the gas on both girls, turned to put the washcloth back in the can containing the gas when it caught fire. The can was setting on the edge of the tub and fell in setting the girls on fire.

This happened almost 50 years ago, but I still remember this incident every time I hear or see someone using gasoline for anything other than it's intended purpose.

corbanzo · « **Reply #9 on:** March 05, 2006, 07:47:18 AM »

Sorry to hear about that... and had something similar happen to me last week. We were out shooting, and one of our favorite things is to fill glass bottles with gas, light them, shoot them, and big explosion. So I was filling glass bottles, and making a trail of gas to burn, and decided to cover this shot up box also... One problem. We had like it on fire about 45 minutes earlier, still had cinders in it. Sum bad word went up while i was pouring gas on it from a 5 gallon can with about 3.5 gallons left. My reaction was pretty dang quick, so I got out with only... all of the hair on my body singed!! And a little burn on my right leg (wearing shorts). Everybody else says it was cool, I didnt think so. Kind of a good laugh when you don't get hurt too bad... but its good to hear you are recovering well land owner!

doncisler · « **Reply #10 on:** March 14, 2006, 06:44:31 PM »

burned all the hair off my legs and got pink skin doing the exact same thing as you.
had done it several times with no problem - didn't even think about it anymore.
this time i had to run back to the house for more matches. when that match lit so did everything.
luckily i wasn't burned badly but the grass had a 50 foot circle that was singed.
worst part is there was probably 20 people who could see it. lots of laughing.
it won't happen again.