From my blog:
Never pour gasoline or the contents of a gasoline can down your sink. Not only is it environmentally-unfriendly, it's extremely dangerous. My mom's neighbor learned this lesson the hard way and has paid a hefty price.
About a week and a half ago, this neighbor decided to empty out the contents of a gasoline can he had in his backyard (near his lawnmower.) Apparently he thought since he left it outside for a long time, the gasoline had evaporated and the can was filled with rainwater. He took it to his laundry room sink to pour it down the drain.
He should have noticed it was gasoline when he began pouring it into the sink. Maybe he figured, "Oh, well, I can't put gasoline mixed with water in my mower, so I'll just pour it down the sink and buy more gasoline." None of us are quite sure what he was thinking.
The fumes from the gasoline rose up out of the sink and formed an invisible cloud in the air, which then spread through the basement to his water heater's pilot light. The pilot light ignited the fumes, causing a powerful explosion that burned the man and melted a good portion of the basement. My mom heard the explosion from her garage and was soon greeted by the neighbor, who was on fire, yelling, "Call 911!"
A week and a half later, the man is still in the hospital (with possible burned lungs, last I heard) and is very lucky to be alive. Thankfully his children were upstairs and able to escape the house without harm.
Be careful out there now. Contact your local fire department if you're not sure how to dispose of something.
Never pour gasoline or the contents of a gasoline can down your sink. Not only is it environmentally-unfriendly, it's extremely dangerous. My mom's neighbor learned this lesson the hard way and has paid a hefty price.
About a week and a half ago, this neighbor decided to empty out the contents of a gasoline can he had in his backyard (near his lawnmower.) Apparently he thought since he left it outside for a long time, the gasoline had evaporated and the can was filled with rainwater. He took it to his laundry room sink to pour it down the drain.
He should have noticed it was gasoline when he began pouring it into the sink. Maybe he figured, "Oh, well, I can't put gasoline mixed with water in my mower, so I'll just pour it down the sink and buy more gasoline." None of us are quite sure what he was thinking.
The fumes from the gasoline rose up out of the sink and formed an invisible cloud in the air, which then spread through the basement to his water heater's pilot light. The pilot light ignited the fumes, causing a powerful explosion that burned the man and melted a good portion of the basement. My mom heard the explosion from her garage and was soon greeted by the neighbor, who was on fire, yelling, "Call 911!"
A week and a half later, the man is still in the hospital (with possible burned lungs, last I heard) and is very lucky to be alive. Thankfully his children were upstairs and able to escape the house without harm.
Be careful out there now. Contact your local fire department if you're not sure how to dispose of something.
