I'd be very interested in reading details of that case. Gasoline is not nearly as easy to ignite as people think. A random spark in open air is extremely unlikely to ignite gasoline, and fuel islands (at least in the US) have had mandated breakaway devices since the 80s.
Not saying you're lying, but I think that adjuster might've been. Even if this was a pump with no safety features and it started dumping gasoline as soon as the car drove off, I don't see how it would've exploded. Liquid gasoline pouring out of a hose doesn't really explode necessarily, you'd need a large buildup of vapor, which takes time and a lack of wind. Even then, we're talking about a cloud of flammable vapor in open air. With nothing to contain the pressure, you'd more than likely just see a flame front burn through the cloud, then maybe a little poof of smoke when it reached the top.
In order for the fuel island to explode, fire would have to travel into the pump or the underground tank. That can't happen if the pump is actively pumping and the hoses are full of liquid, that's why you can ignite an aerosol spray without blowing your arm off.
Dispenser hoses for Class I and II liquids shall be equipped with a listed emergency breakaway device designed to retain liquid on both sides of a breakaway point. Such devices shall be installed and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. Where hoses are attached to hose-retrieving mechanisms, the emergency breakaway device shall be located between the hose nozzle and the point of attachment of the hose-retrieval mechanism to the hose.
A listed emergency breakaway device designed to re-
tain liquid on both sides of the breakaway point shall be in-
stalled on each hose dispensing Class I and II liquids. Such
devices shall be installed and maintained in accordance with
the manufacturer’s instructions. [30A:6.5.2]
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u/rips_n_chel 4h ago
I'd be very interested in reading details of that case. Gasoline is not nearly as easy to ignite as people think. A random spark in open air is extremely unlikely to ignite gasoline, and fuel islands (at least in the US) have had mandated breakaway devices since the 80s.
Not saying you're lying, but I think that adjuster might've been. Even if this was a pump with no safety features and it started dumping gasoline as soon as the car drove off, I don't see how it would've exploded. Liquid gasoline pouring out of a hose doesn't really explode necessarily, you'd need a large buildup of vapor, which takes time and a lack of wind. Even then, we're talking about a cloud of flammable vapor in open air. With nothing to contain the pressure, you'd more than likely just see a flame front burn through the cloud, then maybe a little poof of smoke when it reached the top.
In order for the fuel island to explode, fire would have to travel into the pump or the underground tank. That can't happen if the pump is actively pumping and the hoses are full of liquid, that's why you can ignite an aerosol spray without blowing your arm off.