By

Cognitive Dissonance

Updated on Saturday, November 15th, 2014

Did you know the explosive force of one gallon of gasoline is equivalent to several sticks of dynamite? While it is admittedly difficult to create that explosion without rapidly spraying the fuel into the air before igniting it (for example Hollywood special effects) gasoline does burn vigorously once ignited and it is an extremely aggressive accelerant for nearly any combustible object it touches. In short gasoline is an extremely dangerous liquid and should not be treated casually.

If you are a homeowner most likely you have a few gallons of gasoline hanging around in the garage (or some other outhouse) for use in your lawn mower, tiller, string trimmer or generator. In fact you might have more than ‘just’ a few gallons on hand. Based upon what I see now and then while filling up at gas stations, people tend to keep one or more five gallon container of fuel on hand at all times.

While safe gasoline storage and handling has always been on my mind since I had a lengthy conversation many years ago with a volunteer fireman about burning buildings with containers (as well as power equipment) full of gas, my concern reached the acute stage last year when Mrs. Cog and I moved into our new-to-us homestead up here on the mountain. Our cabin, plus the detached garage and a third outbuilding, are all constructed of logs. Needless to say we live and work in a more combustible environment than most and must always be mindful of fire safety. Continue reading Proper Prepping – Safe(r) Gasoline Storage →