Please help! I can't really believe this happened!

[Richard]

Hope he heals fast. Burns are nasty.

I've had my share of fires here. Some "big" and some downright huge (for scale you can see backhoe in background). I put diesel in a garden sprayer and go out with my propane (or MAP) torch to light it. Spray a spot, light it then use the can to spray more diesel to "walk" the fire to an area if needed or, just to spritz some more fuel to keep it going until it ignights.

There are times the diesel is downright hard to light. I've never seen anything like what's described here (not saying it can't or didn't happen) That's scary that it blew up like that, especially if it was all diesel.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Sad. Burns are truly terrible.

The particulars of that story don't add up though.

I have also become much more consious of the other critters that I hurt with my fires.

 

[Budweiser John]

I知 in the it didn稚 happen crowd. Diesel barley even lights with a cigarette lighter. It won稚 explode. I would believe gas accidentally getting mixed in a lot more plausible than anything else.

I致e been burning brush piles for over 40 years always with diesel fuel. Never had one explode as the oP describes which leads me to believe either the pile or the container was contaminated with a more flammable material.

B. John

 

[BRMyers]

Lots of unknowns, but tossing out another theory. Hot, humid day. Diesel was hot enough to start off gassing. Air is thick and humid due to current weather conditions that day. Not much air movement. Brush pile in a low spot compared to surrounding areas and holds the diesel fumes, ignition source, and a large amount of diesel fumes go up at once.

Just a theory and to many unknowns at this point to say even if it is a valid theory.

 

[MossRoad]

Man dies from explosion welding diesel fuel tank in bed of pickup truck. Tank had less than 1 cup of fuel in it.

NIOSH FACE Program: California Case Report 7CA6 | CDC/NIOSH

 

[MossRoad]

Diesel fuel tank blast...
Link had a H E L L in it, because that's what it scared out of witnesses.

Page not found - amNewYork

 

[Industrial Toys]

I'm certainly glad that I don't have any more fuel tanks to cut apart. It worries me that some friends of mine, don't see any cause for concern, as long as it's not gasoline.

One cup seems suspicious. If the report had said, mostly empty, that would have rang more true, but "one" cup?

We have been throwing Diesel on brush piles for half a century. Never an issue. Gasoline was way more fun though. Terribly dangerous! Some really good fail army videos on that.

 

[Fuddy1952]

Years ago I had trouble starting a big brush pile when a farmer friend stopped by. He suggested an old car tire and used motor oil.
That worked...environmentalists wouldn't like it though.
There wasn't even a breeze that night but it created it's own tornado, actually scary.
I have two big brush piles to burn right now. I wanted our local fire department here with a tank truck but they said just burn them! It's a good way of ridding trees and brush, I just don't like doing it.

 

[MossRoad]

I just push mine out into the woods and let them rot for the animals and dirt.

 

[k0ua]

I just push mine out into the woods and let them rot for the animals and dirt.

That's what I do here too. I would not think about starting a big brush pile fire out around where I live. Just too built up, and too much danger of getting out of control. Besides we have a lot of those "gasoline trees" around here. (cedars) Even when they are green they really burn. When dry and brown, they burn about the same rate as firecracker flash powder. Almost.