As gas prices rise, reaching an average of nearly $4.50 per gallon in Connecticut on Friday, some emergency officials are warning people about the dangers of hoarding gasoline.
“Four bucks a gallon, five, six -- none of us know when this will end. But when faced with the stunning jump in fuel costs, a few residents have resorted to gasoline hoarding. People are taking any and every container to the pump and filling it up,” Westport Fire Marshal Nate Gibbons said in a statement.
He warned that fuels like gasoline and diesel are flammable and Connecticut has laws against using unsafe containers.
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He said cans to store small fuel quantities are metal or special red plastic, have safety nozzles, and can be effectively sealed against leaking vapors, which can ignite if they find a source of ignition.
“You’ve seen them around and probably have one or two in your garage. It’s what they are designed for, safe storage of flammable liquids,” Gibbons said.
The Westport fire marshal’s office is urging people to:
- Only put fuel in rated, fuel containers.
- If you need to stockpile fuel, invest in the correct gas storage containers.
- Store fuel outside your living area, and never in a basement.
- Transfer fuel using safety nozzles that shut off automatically in the event of a slip or a drop.
- Always use funnels to minimize the risk of a spill.
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