The Lethbridge Fire Prevention Bureau is warning of the dangers around hoarding and storing gasoline.
The fire department has been hearing reports of this happening lately around the city during to the COVID-19 pandemic, stressing the storage of large quantities of gas on a residential property is not a good idea.
While it’s smart to keep fuel tanks full for lawnmowers or generators, it is very dangerous to store gasoline inappropriately. Fire Prevention says if a non-conforming container is being filled and transported with gas, the result could be catastrophic and easily cause a fatal fire or explosion.
People are reminded to store gasoline in approved containers, like red plastic jerry cans, which conform to fire code regulations.
The Fire Prevention Bureau would like to remind everyone on the general rules for proper storage and handling of gasoline.
- Fuel must be bought, stored and transported in approved containers. Approved containers should never be filled while on or in a vehicle. By removing the container from the vehicle and placing it on the ground you remove the static charge on it therefore making it safe to fill.
- We have all seen the red plastic fuel storage containers that most people use to store fuel for gas lawn mowers or other small equipment. These containers are generally 5 gallons or 20 litres or smaller. These containers conform to fire code regulation.
- Examples of containers that do not conform would be large plastic or metal drums or barrels or small plastic containers like milk or windshield antifreeze jugs.
- Larger tanks that have been permanently secured in a box of a truck vehicle, like a properly installed slip tank are required to be grounded to prevent static charge therefore making it safe to fill.