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My gyro has 2 x 40 litre seat tanks, I was fuelling them up with both fuel caps removed. I was lifting or about to lift the jerry after pouring about 10 litres of premium unleaded to put the rest in the other tank so it wouldn’t take long for the tanks to equalise. I was pouring with a plastic jerry through a black anti static Mr. Funnel into a poly fuel tank. I have been fuelling up this way for years. The tanks caught alight. I reckon I saw it catch on the top of the tanks first, then the flame climbed into the funnel & then to the jerry. I instantly threw the jerry about 10 feet away, then reached the funnel & flicked it away, I then raced to a hose, grabbed it
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I know of another near exact thing happening, all blamed on static, he was using the same stuff, a plastic jerry and a Mr funnel, so we need to be real careful.this machine had a 70 lt seat tank however, so the fire would have been about the same is it took off.
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Great that you kept a clear head, although water isnt the best option, it did the job.Static, yes, it can happen quite easily and yes, we get pretty slack and its something thats probably not taught where as in FW flying, you cant re fuel at a airdrome unless you earth everything correctly.Its always important to keep the jerry can earthed to the funnel at all times and not lift the jerry can up untill you have finished pouring. It helps as well if the funnel is held or at least earthed but the best way is to earth everything with a earth lead, doesnt take long to attach and removes the static danger.Was re fueling a vehicle with diesel from an overhead tank one day and I could hear this "clicking sound", stopped pouring and clicking stopped, started pouring again and the clicking started again so I stopped re fueling and purchased a new fuel delivery hose next trip to town!!
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I know its not common, but a cool head is essential with fire. Gess its an inbuilt fear that causes people to panic.I was ina shed witha bloke tryn to start an old holden, bonet up, aircleaner off, flooded to the sh1thouse wen POOF, it backfired, spewed fuel out the carb and flames everywhere.Before i got to it he"d already tryed water, only to spread burning fuel further.Wen i got there i used the best emergency petrol extinguisher there is, the cloths on ya back.Riped me shirt off n covered the carb and threw me dacs on more fuel burnng on the floor.Fire out instantly.Woz just bout this moment i remembered i was at me mates workshop in town, and there was customers
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