We are always doing q and a on here but sharing stories could be an interesting twist.
I thought I would share a story from several years ago when I was doing an install. While speaking with a fellow forum member this evening I told him about it and thought I would share and see what other stories folks have.
But on to the story,
It was dark, trying to finish up an install when an impatient customer was building a fire with green wood "no doubt" as we were tying everything together. He was raising heck saying it wouldn't burn well, I was explaining the green wood and went on doing what I was doing, I came back by the stove moments later and thought I smelled kerosene, I opened the door to look inside and saw a huge white fog, "kerosene fog" I saw it start to swirl as air rushed in and slammed the door, instantly it went KABooooomm!!! The main load door held, but the ash pan door came out so hard it broke the latches clean off and took my legs out on the way out, I went hurling into the air. I was laying on the ground probably 20 feet from the stove when I looked up and saw the "mushroom cloud" of kerosene exploding above the stove, the fireball went well above the power lines!
Needless to say, my shins turned blue from bruising, I singed hair off of both my arms from shielding my face from the flash, singed some of my hair and eyebrows still yet, my helper at the time was standing 12-15 feet from the boiler when she went off, he also had burns all over, mostly singed hair. Knocked him down as well, so we had numerous scratches and stuff, it was quite the day...
What happened? Customer threw in a water pale of kerosene when I wasn't looking, the fire was smoldering and it was atomizing the kerosene, the fuel was so rich inside the stove it didn't have enough o2 to ignite, well, I gave it the o2 and she went off!!! Kerosene in vapor form, wow!!!
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Topic: Stove mishaps (Read 9669 times)