Firefighters: Van Explodes While Woman Sniffs Propane

NewsNet5 ^ | November 11, 2004 | Associated Press

[PoliticalInsider]

CANTON, Ohio -- A woman was sniffing propane in the back of a van when her husband entered the van with a lighted cigarette, causing an explosion that ripped the roof off the vehicle.

Donald Rohrig was taken to Akron Children's Hospital and was listed in good condition. His wife, Tammy Rohrig, was taken to Aultman Hospital and was listed in satisfactory condition.

Firefighters said Tammy Rohrig had been sniffing propane in a van Tuesday evening when Donald Rohrig went out to look for her. Gordon Black of the Fire Prevention Bureau said Donald Rohrig went into the van with a lighted cigarette, causing it to explode.

The explosion caused a flash fire, which was contained to the van, according to the Fire Department.

Harry Cavitt, a retired firefighter who lives a half-mile away, said he had never seen anything like this before.

"It's just scary thinking about it," said neighbor Lillie Johnson, Cavitt's mother.

Firefighters were called out to the house in October for another propane-related situation. Officials said the house was full of a propane smell and had to be ventilated by the Fire Department.

[Willie Green]

Propane, like natural gas, has a touch of methane or some other smelly gas added to it

Methane IS natural gas, and it is both colorless and odorless.
To make it safely detectable, they add the "rotten egg smell" with sulfur-based compounds such as "mercaptan".

[SquirrelKing]

[houeto]

A cigarette will not ignite propane or gas or kerosene.

But, a lit cigarette will, most assuredly, ignite propane vapors.

[Willie Green]

Ooooops, I see you've already self-corrected.

Nevermind. ;^)

[RockAgainsttheLeft04]

"Magic Markers don't
explode. You can write with them,
and they don't go BOOM!"

Ha! that takes me back. I used to sniff those things back in Junior High and as a High School freshman. Sweet smell, woozy sensation, lightheadedness--it felt pretty good.

Don't jump on me because I'm not endorsing it. I now realize that it was quite dangerous and I'm lucky to have my brain intact and unharmed (at least I think so...what were we talkin' about?).

[Sender]

"she don't lie,she don't lie,she don't lie... propane."

Stop it, stop it! I can't stop laughing!

[Deguello]

"Lighted" is a correct usage."

Lit.

[adaven]

Forget English, how about good old fashioned science? A cigarette will not ignite propane or gas or kerosene. It takes an open flame or spark, not just the glowing end of a cigarette. My dad used to manage a gas station, that's what they were in the 50's when he had his, and he would bet people $5 that they could not ignite gas in the bottom of a bucket using nothing but the cigarette they were smoking. He never had to pay off on that bet. In this case I would sooner think a spark caused by the dome light coming on and going off would have caused it.

My friend's dad used to clean engine parts by soaking them in a bucket of gasoline. I remember him flicking his lit cigarette butts into the bucket to give us a scare. Never did ignite the gas.

[Max Combined]

It is 2004 and you are full of $hit.

The American Heritage® Book of English Usage.
A Practical and Authoritative Guide to Contemporary English. 1996.


3. Word Choice: New Uses, Common Confusion, and Constraints


§ 197. light
You can use either lighted or lit as past tense and past participle of light. Both forms are also well established as adjectives: a lit (or lighted) pipe.

http://www.bartleby.com/64/C003/0197.html

[flashbunny]

I'm glad I'm not the only one.

At least I've learned to stop yelling at the tv when I hear them say it.

[Deguello]

"Never did ignite the gas."

About a year or more ago, some Freeper was challenged about this. Said he was going to try it, prove it and get back to us...haven't heard from him since.

[Clay Moore]

We use freon in the form of Halon to extinguish fires. Maybe she should take up huffing a freon/propane mix. (^;

[Joe Hadenuf]

CANTON, Ohio -- A woman was sniffing propane in the back of a van when her husband entered the van with a lighted cigarette, causing an explosion that ripped the roof off the vehicle.

Jezuz. Can't they get any pot, cigarettes or beer in Ohio?

[muir_redwoods]

Nearly a self-correcting problem

[fxrdeb]

I just can't understand how someone could get pleasure from such a disgusting odor. She must have lost her sense of smell long ago.

[Clay Moore]

"Didn't the Grateful Dead do the song "Propane"?"

No that was Pinkard and Boudin.

"when the tank's out of gas and you are freezing your..." never mind

[Hat-Trick]

I just love that Eric Clapner!

[Clay Moore]

Any flammable gas or liquid has what are called flammable limits. Too rich or lean and it will not ignite. Find the right mixture and that cigarette will ignite it. The bucket was too rich and luckily, they got it through the middle.

[finallyatexan]

OMG - I still yell at the tv and my poor husband if he is in the room!!!!

[wideminded]

""Lighted" is a correct usage."

Maybe in some bizarro world where dogs and cats lie down together, but dangit, it should be lit!

NEVADA REVISED STATUTES: Chapter 475:

1. It is unlawful for any person willfully or negligently: (a) To throw or place any lighted cigarette, cigar, ashes, match or other material which may cause a fire in any place where such lighted cigarette, cigar, match, ashes or other material may start a fire.

(b) To throw or otherwise discard from a moving vehicle any lighted cigarette, cigar, ash or other material which may cause a fire.