Aaron":1uwz9749 said:
RayfromTX":1uwz9749 said:
Don't use gasoline to start fires. There is no way to pencil out the risk reward ratio on that one. Diesel is too cheap and burn wards are two expensive. I didn't think it would happen to me. I started fires with gas for years following my father's lead. It worked fine until it didn't. The amount of gas that I blew myself up with was half a dixie cup. Long story. 7 weeks in the burn ward. 44% total body surface burn. While I was still in the hospital, a friend got a minor burn doing the same thing. We are all convinced we're smart enough to get away with it until we are laying in a hospital bed thinking "well that was stupid" I was 20. Normalization of deviance played a role. Distance from a trauma center was in my favor that day. Access to Brooke Army Medical was also a plus.
My guess is you were standing downwind of the vapors?
Still afternoon, barrel enclosure shaped the flame front towards me. The first sensation was a cool mist as the fuel sought oxygen. The vapor was pushed outward from the ignition, coated my shirtless skin and then found the oxygen it needed. God put a man that I disliked rather thoroughly in my life who told me a story about working in a foundry. He told me if I ever found myself surrounded by flame to remember not to breathe because the resultant lung damage would make it impossible to recover from the burns. Two hours later I found myself in that situation. I've never heard a story or a warning like that before or since. I only heard it when I needed it. God taught me that day that I should listen to everyone, even those that I dislike because I never know when he may be speaking through them. There is far more to the story that that but I'm really going to stop right there and let this get back on topic. Never use explosive liquids to start a fire. I use waste oil and a propane torch these days. That's about as cheap as it gets short of paper which won't work in the burn conditions that I prefer. As to the old gas? Waste management.