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Thursday, March 13, 2003
Gas station pump catches fire; 1 hurt
By Minerva B. Gerodias
A MECHANIC of a gasoline station along Gen. Maxilom Ave., Cebu City sustained burns in his face after one of its gasoline pumps caught fire yesterday afternoon.
The Caltex station’s employees used their fire extinguishers to control the blaze.
Fire investigator Felix Romero narrated that attendant Rey Rosales was pumping gasoline into a plastic container, which was to be transferred to an empty gasoline tank.
Rosales was able to get two containers of gasoline and poured this into the other tank. But the third time he did the routine, they noticed the pump nozzle was already burning.
Romero said Aldrin Cañete, who was inside the shop, ran to help and poured water to the flame, but this only caused the fire to spread. Cañete was hurt and was brought to Chong Hua Hospital.
“Chemicals or bubbles are used to control fire in gas stations, not water,” Romero explained.
The whole pump was damaged because of the fire but five other pumps were saved. The blaze was put off with the use of fire extinguishers. The damage was pegged at P20,000.
It was not possible for the whole station to explode because the valves in the gasoline tank automatically close as the nozzle is released.
It was just fortunate that there was no car being refueled during the incident, Romero explained.
Romero said it was his first time to encounter such kind of fire.
He consulted some experts in his office and he was told that “synthetic electricity” could have caused the fire.
Synthetic electricity could be brought about by the station’s electrical connection, cellular phone transmission waves or by the electronic device attached to the pump.
But he is conducting further investigation on the matter to confirm the cause of the blaze.
With this incident, Romero advised the public to turn off their cellular phones while having their cars refueled.
The gasoline station was closed yesterday but Romero said it may continue to operate, although he has recommended an inspection.
(March 13, 2003 issue)
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