What Are the Dangers of Gas Tank Leaks?

From 2002 to 2007 U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 287,000 vehicle fires per year, with these fires causing on average of 480 deaths in civilians, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Leaking fuel tanks in cars and buried heating units pose a huge safety risk to drivers and families because of the flammability of fuel

Fire

• The most common risk associated with gas tank leaks is a fire. Leaking fuel tanks pose a serious threat for fires in cars and buried fuel tanks because the fuel is highly flammable and will react wherever there is spark. During a crash when the tank becomes damaged and starts leaking, the possibility of a fire increases. For heating units, the fuel is ignited to generate heat and there is a possibility of leaking fuel accidentally causing a fire.

Gas Tank Explosion

• Any spark that may occur around the leak has the possibility to ignite the contents of the fuel tank and trigger a larger explosion of the remaining fuel in the tank. What may cause a spark for a car could be a collision with another vehicle or a a piece of loose metal hanging from the car near the fuel tank leak. For a buried fuel tank, an explosion can be triggered by a spark occurring when fuel is being combusted for heating.

Environmental Contamination

• Environmental contamination is a major problem over time as fuel from leaking gas tanks gradually gets washed into the local water supply, contaminating the drinking water in the area. Over time, the water supply gradually becomes a collection basin for leaked fuel and destroys the ecosystem. The same contamination happens with buried fuel tanks when they leak into soil, contaminating surrounding soils, making them unusable for food production.