hand sanitizer in car fire

“By its nature, most hand sanitizer is alcohol-based and therefore flammable,” the fire officials wrote on Facebook May 21, alongside a photo of a driver-side door interior that had been mangled and melted by hand sanitizer. The National Fire Protection Association said in a … Local I-57 31 mins ago Fact-checked by: Agência Lupa. To recap: Yes, hand sanitizer can explode in a hot car — if it’s as hot as a commercial pizza oven. ‘The alcohol hand sanitiser is becoming heated resulting in flammable vapours being released. “Did you know that you 'Should Not' leave hand sanitizer in your cars that could get over 70 degrees!” Cathy Pagendarm posted on Facebook May 19. “Although the incidence of fires related to ABHS is very low, it is vital that ABHS is stored safely and that bulk dispensers are installed and maintained correctly,” its website says. NFPA’s video describes how hand sanitizer is ignitable if met with a “viable ignition source” because of its 60% alcohol but does not mention the risk of car fires. Don't leave hand sanitizer in hot cars 01:48. The district claimed sanitizer could spontaneously combust if left in a hot car, but that is not true; the damage in the photo was caused by an existing fire that consumed a bottle of sanitizer. WLFD linked National Fire Protection Association’s April 17 video “Fire safety considerations for hand sanitizer” to their post. You might be aware that plastic water bottles can become a fire hazard in your car due to direct sunlight. © 2020 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Zappos founder's dad, brother named estate administrators after fatal fire, Manhattan church resumes services online after fire destroys building, Massive NYC fire destroys historic church, California wildfire leads to evacuations as 4,000 acres burn, Driver's racing future in peril after posting 'abhorrent' groping video to Instagram, No drinking alcohol for two months after COVID-19 vaccine, Russia tells citizens, Nurse stops practicing after mocking COVID-19 rules on TikTok, Pornhub cracks down on illegal content following exposé, Inside Karlie Kloss and Joshua Kushner's new $23.5M Miami estate. Dr Hilary Jones has played down fears that hand sanitiser could cause car fires amid the current UK heatwave. “Despite some information currently being released on social media and in the news, the short answer is no,” Verzoni wrote. Leave your hand sanitizer in a hot car and your vehicle’s interior could end up a fire scene. Firefighters say, under the right conditions, it could cause a fire. 51,621, This story has been shared 46,020 times. Your California Privacy Rights posted a similar claim and identical photo, Fire safety considerations for hand sanitizer, NFPA 30 Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has acknowledged the low threat of ABHS fires, posted a statement apologizing for the confusion, published another video to debunk alcohol-based hand sanitizer car fire claims, Western Lakes Fires District Facebook Post, National Fire Prevention Association, "Fire safety considerations for hand sanitizer", Center for Disease Control and Prevention, "Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings", Western Lakes Fire District Facebook Post, National Fire Prevention Association, "Can hand sanitizer spontaneously ignite in a hot car? “By its nature, most hand sanitizer is alcohol-based and therefore flammable. Hand sanitizer with 70% alcohol has a flash point of 21 deg C. The photo below is from hand sanitizer igniting in a hot vehicle that reached 35 deg C. inside the vehicle.” Facebook user, 19 May 2020 Although alcoholic hand sanitisers are potentially flammable, there would need to be a spark to start a fire at temperatures this low. subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here. The nonprofit National Fire Protection Association which provides training and standards for firefighters says that hand sanitizer can be a dangerous material. Keep it away from recognized ignition sources, but I don’t think the contents sitting in a car is what we should be concerned about.”. The first responders, who use their social-media presence to educate their community on common fire hazards, added that clear water bottles also pose an explosion risk. “This is a TOTALLY irresponsible post,” one wrote. Your Ad Choices Hand sanitizer is flammable and burns quite easily if it’s ignited, but it can’t catch a car on fire if left inside the vehicle during a hot day, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Additionally I did find some stories that claimed hand sanitizers would lose their effectiveness if left in a hot car. Hand sanitizers use either ethyl or isopropyl alcohol as the basis for their formulas. “If you want it to remain effective, in terms of killing the virus or bacteria, you wouldn’t want to keep it in your car anyways,” Verzoni said. OCONOMOWOC, Wis. – A Wisconsin fire department has issued an alert about keeping hand sanitizer inside vehicles. “Has WLFD seen incidents of either of these two things happening?” asked Jeff Meyers. Do Not Sell My Personal Information. ", ABC 7, "Experts say hand sanitizer should not be left in your car". Wisconsin fire fighters deleted a warning that hand sanitizer could explode if left in hot cars after it went viral recently and apologized for causing "confusion." As summer arises and the coronavirus pandemic continues, concerns about the flammability of alcohol-based hand sanitizers (ABHS) are flooding the internet. According to the National Fire Protection Association, the hand sanitizer would indeed have to reach up to 700 degrees Fahrenheit for it to catch fire without the presence of a flame or spark. Claiming the WLFD has an “ethical duty” to back up this claim, Meyers and others had finally goaded a response. “And particularly being next to open flame while smoking in vehicles or grilling while enjoying this weekend----can lead to disaster.”. “You should edit the image that you used, which was not caused by hand sanitizer, and adjust your 'warning.'”. © 2020 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. 46,020, This story has been shared 43,420 times. The post warns that leaving alcohol-based sanitizers in clear bottles in cars can lead to the sanitizer heating up in warm weather and exploding. Guy Colonna, NFPA senior director of technical services, addressed confusion surrounding WLFD’s warning and photo. “By its nature, most hand sanitizer is alcohol-based and therefore flammable,” the fire … There's a hidden risk with keeping hand sanitizer in your car to help protect against COVID-1 9 and … SUBSCRIBE NOW $1 for 3 months. So consider keeping your hand sanitizer in a cooler place for efficacy reasons—not in an effort to avoid a spontaneous car fire. A further study, Poynter noted, found hand sanitizer would need to reach a temperature of approximately 300 degrees to combust, while vehicles, which can … “We thankfully have not and are doing our best to keep it that way,” the fire department wrote. Claim: A bottle of hand sanitizer will spontaneously combust if left in a hot car. “This is fake I have kept hand sanitizer in my car for years and almost all my coworkers do the same,” one user commented. Cathy Pagendarm, Quanta Services Inc. and WLFD have not responded to USA TODAY's requests for comment. Leave your hand sanitizer in a hot car and your vehicle’s interior could end up a fire scene. The National Fire Chiefs Council confirmed that "hand sanitiser kept in cars do not pose a fire risk", after NHS bosses issued a warning to staff. Experts say alcohol-based hand sanitizer is flammable, but can only ignite if a flame is introduced. Western Lakes Fire District in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, fueled the online confusion when it posted a similar claim and identical photo on May 21. Storing hand sanitizer in a car for more than a few hours can lead the alcohol to evaporate, which can make it less effective. Recommended to you based on your activity and what's popular • Feedback On May 22, NFPA published another video to debunk alcohol-based hand sanitizer car fire claims. “I hate these fear creating posts,” another wrote. Sitemap WLFD later removed the warning and posted a statement apologizing for the confusion and clarifying that the image was not its own. That’s not a temperature your car’s cabin … A fire department in Wisconsin is issuing a warning on the dangers of leaving hand sanitizers inside the car during a hot day. This photo, shared by the Western Lakes Fire District in Oconomowoc, shows the aftermath of a car fire involving hand sanitizer. Our fact check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook. “While we never made the claim that the photo utilized was from our district or from an exploding container of hand sanitizer, it has become clear that that inference and speculation made is seem as though it was,” WFLD wrote. "Hand sanitizer with 70% alcohol has a flash point of 21 deg C. "The photo below is from hand sanitizer igniting in a hot vehicle that reached 35 deg C. inside the vehicle… https://www.foxnews.com/us/illinois-fire-department-hand-sanitizer-cars 2020/04/27 | Brazil. Verzoni also warned that storing large amounts of hand sanitizer, more than 5 gallons, poses a significant fire risk. After responding to the incident, officials said the fire was caused by hand sanitizer left in a hot vehicle and warned against keeping it in cars during the summer months. “The fire appeared to be caused by the owner’s small bottle of hand sanitizer that was left on the dashboard," the Waukegan Fire Department wrote on Facebook. We've received your submission. The Western Lakes Fire District of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, shared an explosive photograph Thursday as a warning to all you motorists trying to be hyper-vigilant about the coronavirus this summer. Roy Wilsher, NFCC Chair said: "We want to reassure people that this product will not combust if left in a car - even on the hottest day. ‘These vapours are reaching their “flash point” and … This story has been shared 192,086 times. According to the National Fire Protection Association, hand sanitizer would have to be heated to temperatures above 700 degrees Fahrenheit to ignite. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. “We thankfully have not and are doing our best to keep it that way,” WLFD responded to the comment. Fire brigade bosses have rubbished claims that bottles of hand sanitiser could catch fire if they are left in hot cars. Pagendarm posted a photo of a flyer titled “Safety Alert: Risk of Leaving Hand Sanitizer in Hot Vehicles,” which depicted an image of a burnt car door and the specialty contractor company Quanta Services Inc. logo. Watch the stinging moment when a 7-Eleven employee in Bangkok... Post was not sent - check your email addresses! The WLFD has since redacted its stance that alcohol-based hand sanitizers could ignite in a hot car. Hand sanitizer probably won't spontaneously combust in a hot car, but there is a reason it's not a great idea to leave a bottle of it in your vehicle. The Western Lakes Fire District in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, posted a photo of a burnt car door on Facebook, cautioning people not to leave hand sanitizer in … Terms of Use We rate the claim that alcohol-based hand sanitizer stored in hot cars can ignite FALSE because it is not supported by our research. The vapors generated at the flashpoint of hand sanitizer discussed in this video still require an ignition source (like a flame from a candle) to cause the vapors being released by the liquid to ignite. Others replied to Meyers’ query claiming they had parsed the links provided in the original Facebook post, but none pointed to proof of the hand sanitizer blast theory. In the YouTube comments, a viewer asked if ABHS could spontaneously combust in a hot car. For it to spontaneously combust with no other, external ignition source other than self-heating alone, you’d have to reach over 700 degrees F!”. “But you shouldn’t be leaving it in the car indefinitely.”. FALSE: A video of a car on fire. Fire dept. One user asked WLFD if they’d ever responded to an ABHS car fire. 192,086, This story has been shared 51,621 times. “For it to spontaneously combust with no other, external ignition source other than self-heating alone, you’d have to reach over 700 degrees F!” NFPA wrote on May 21. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. In the caption, it says that alcohol-based hand sanitizer caused the fire. 43,420, © 2020 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved “Please quote your sources,” echoed Sara Morgan. Privacy Notice The Western Lakes Fire District of Oconomowoc, WI, took to social media to spread the warning that hand sanitizers have the potential to catch on fire when left in a warm car. The official Facebook page of the Western Lakes Fire Department in Wisconsin shared a cautionary post on May 21, 2020. “Using a hand sanitizer is a suitable alternative to hand-washing when protecting yourself from things like COVID-19 and that’s way more important than worrying about your hands spontaneously combusting,” NFPA staff writer Angelo Verzoni said in the video. (no mention of fire risk).”. “If you are running errands and want to keep it in the car, that’s fine,” Boyce said. Thanks for contacting us. “While infrequent, there have been cases in the recent past were reflecting light placed through a clear bottle was able to focus onto a combustible surface and cause a fire,” WFLD wrote. Home A video of a car on fire. Thank you for supporting our journalism. “We would also champion you searching your most trusted and enjoyed sources for more information,” they added in a later response. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here. WFLD warned about the effects of exposed flames and sun magnification with ABHS, although it had not seen any incidents with ABHS before. Warning issued about COVID-19 vaccine after patients suffer reaction, The spy who shagged 'em: Suspected Chinese agent reportedly slept with, courted pols, NYC Chipotle besieged by rats feasting on avocados, biting employees, Man on trial for killing schoolboy who threatened to reveal 'intimate' relationship, Grinding to a halt: 'Highest-earning sex worker’ sues over lost wages. One day after a bottle of hand sanitizer caused a family's car to go up in flames in suburban Waukegan, the fire department is warning the public to … The post linked to an April 17 YouTube video from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) titled “Fire safety considerations for hand sanitizer,” which says hand sanitizer … Do Not Sell My Personal Information, Your California Privacy Rights And Meyers, ever the investigator (apparently), did just that — after digging for an undisclosed amount of time through comments on fire hazard videos. Keeping it in your car during hot weather, exposing it to sun causing magnification of light through the bottle,” WLFD wrote. warns about leaving hand sanitizer in your car on a warm day, sparking controversy Hand sanitizer and face masks are set out as church goers return to in … Meyers continued, “I’ve found stories of bottles that swelled and ‘exploded’ (due to pressure, not combustion) that were in hot cars, but nothing about bottles of hand sanitizers spontaneously combusting. Dr. Greg Boyce, Florida Gulf Coast University department of chemistry and physics associate professor, said hand sanitizer should not be kept in a car for more than a few hours during a March 26 interview with ABC. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has acknowledged the low threat of ABHS fires and released guidelines for safe storage in health care facilities. For hand sanitiser to cause a fire it would need to come into contact with a spark. Just when you thought you were playing it safe. That report noted that the temperature inside a car would have to approach 600 degrees Fahrenheit to cause hand sanitizer to explode. They included a link to the National Fire Protection Association’s YouTube video with more warnings on hand sanitizer combustion. “From a fire safety standpoint, it is not unsafe to leave hand sanitizer inside a hot vehicle.”. This story has been shared 192,086 times. "Hand sanitiser is very important in the fight against the spread of COVID-19, therefore it is is essential we debunk this myth. May 22, 2020 | 11:34am | Updated May 22, 2020 | 3:53pm. However, a few citizen journalists on social media were dubious of the bizarre claim, asking the WLFD to provide hard evidence of spontaneous hand sanitizer combustion. NFPA 30 Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code sets guidelines for safe storage. Godspeed! “Additionally, there is a potential fire risk to storing hand sanitizer in your car. With the makeup of most alcohol-based hand sanitizers being made up of 70% ethanol or isopropyl alcohol, the flashpoint is only around 63 or 64 degrees Fahrenheit. Facebook users responded to WLFD’s warning and use of the image with similar disbelief and outrage. A small bottle of hand sanitizer left on the dashboard caused a small car fire Thursday in Waukegan, according to the Waukegan Fire Department. “Keeping it in your car during hot weather, exposing it to sun causing magnification of light through the bottle — and particularly being next to open flame while smoking in vehicles or grilling while enjoying this weekend — can lead to disaster,” they explained. Colonna stressed that because most ABHS containers are small, extreme heat is more likely to burn away the alcohol and make the containers leak than ignite a fire. The flyer described a car fire involving a 250ml container of ABHS and urged readers not to make the same mistake. In the last week, their viral Facebook post has been shared more than 6,500 times. “You should be aware of this material being flammable and handle it appropriately. Wisconsin Fire Department Post Warns About Leaving Sanitizers in the Car. Although leaving small amounts of ABHS in your car does not pose a significant fire risk, it should not be kept in vehicles because high temperatures can lower its disinfectant ability. “ From a fire safety considerations for hand sanitizer in hot cars can ignite false because it is not by. Coronavirus pandemic continues, concerns about the flammability of alcohol-based hand sanitizer in hot cars can ignite false because is... Which provides training and standards for firefighters says that hand sanitiser could car... Sanitizer should not be left in your car during hot weather, exposing it to sun causing magnification of through! Spontaneous car fire post Warns about leaving sanitizers in the YouTube comments, a division Gannett. 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