Fowler Associates Labs

Reprinted from:
The Andalusia Star-News
http://www.andalusiastarnews.com/

A Tuesday afternoon fire at Mr. Henry's on U.S. 331 in Opp injured one man, destroyed his car and disintegrated a fuel dispenser.

The fire started about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and the exact cause of the fire has not been determined.

Opp Police officials said they planned no criminal investigation of the fire but believed the driver of the car may have left the vehicle running while he was pumping gas.

Shane Lord, of Morgan Distributing Co., said the fire completely destroyed one fuel dispenser, melted more than half of the canopy over the pumps and melted parts of other pumps.

Lord said he did not know how the fire started but said, "It was a freak thing."

Lord said a fire such as this had never happened at any of the gas dispensers owned by Morgan Distributing Co.

There are signs on the dispenser that warn people to turn off their engines and also signs that warn against smoking while dispensing fuel.

Jeffery Morrison of the Opp Fire Department said there are any number of ways a fire can start at a gas pump.

Static electricity from a running car, an overflowing gas tank or sparks from a backfire could start a fire at a gas pump.

Morrison said he had never responded to a fire like this since he had been a fireman in Opp.

Morrison said although the exact cause of the fire is unknown, "It is a good idea to turn off your engine while filling up."