This is a surveillance camera view of an actual incident. Notice the victim returns to her car during the refueling process. She appears to pull her hair back as she exits the vehicle. As she returns to the gas pump, a fire is sparked as she reaches for the nozzle. See for yourself, watch the video at ...
http://www.pei.org/static/static.avi
You should know that..
* Static electricity can be generated by many different sources. There are documented fires caused by plastic gas cans, nylon windbreakers and, possibly most dangerous of all, human nature. We found a common thread in a substantial number of these accidents: the victims got back in their cars.
* Cell phones have been cited as the cause in e-mails circulating on the Internet. So far the PEI.org has not been unable to document any incidents that were sparked by a cellular telephone. In fact, many researchers have tried to ignite fuel vapors with a cell phone and failed. PEI still recommends not using any electronic device that might distract the motorist during the refueling process.
* If you must re-enter your vehicle during refueling, be sure to discharge any static that may have built up before reaching for the nozzle. Static may be safely discharged by touching a metal part of the vehicle, such as the vehicle door, or some other metal surface, away from the nozzle, with a bare hand.Read more at http://www.pei.org/news/static.htm
