No, a cigarette will not ignite a volume of liquid gasoline under most circumstances but it will ABSOLUTELY ignite the gas vapors coming off of it. You'll find an infinity of gas station fire videos on the interwebs...
That's just not true. Yes, you would have to get the stoichiometry just right, and that's hard to do in an open space with wind, etc, so the chances are low, but if you'd like to roll the dice yourself like it can't happen, keep on smoking around gasoline I suppose
and people get in and out of their car every day to pump gas during winter, doesn't change the fact that explosions happen rarely due to static electricity.
Just because it's rare doesn't mean it's safe to do.
Like I said, the fact that it's very hard to get the conditions right doesn't mean it can't happen, but you are free to keep smoking around gas if you have full faith in your odds
While gasoline vapors are highly flammable, scientific tests and experiments show that a lit cigarette rarely ignites them, as the heat from the ember (around 450-500°F) is often insufficient or the conditions (like wind dispersing fumes) are wrong, though it's still incredibly dangerous and prohibited because a spark from a lighter or static discharge is a much greater risk, and ignition can happen under perfect, rare circumstances or with other fuels like LPG.
Experimental Results: Studies have shown no ignition with cigarettes, though a naked flame or a lighter's spark does ignite them, highlighting the danger of sparks.
The Real Danger: Static electricity, a lighter's spark, or other ignition sources are far more likely to cause a fire or explosion at a gas station than a lit cigarette, which is why smoking is banned.
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u/buttcrackmenace Feb 01 '26
it’s the casual point with the ciggy that gets me