Listen, we know gas costs more than $4 a gallon, and may go even higher, but that doesn’t mean you should start stockpiling gas. Two Dartmouth natives learned this the hard way when the 45-gallons of gas they were hoarding in nine plastic jugs ignited, nearly burning down their eight-unit apartment complex.

“If it had not been for the sprinklers, this building would have probably burnt to the ground,” said Jennifer Mieth, a spokeswoman for state Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan.

[…]

The jugs were covered by cloth rags and stacked in a hallway closet that housed the air conditioning system, Chief Arruda said.

[…]

The husband jumped from the second-floor balcony to escape the fire and sprained his ankle, he said. Everyone else escaped the building without injury.

The Fire Marshal’s Office determined that the fire was accidental, resulting from a heat source — likely the natural gas water heater or a propane-powered cooking appliance — igniting vapors from the stored gas, Ms. Mieth said.

The couple, who have yet to be named, can expect a letter from the folks behind the Darwin Awards reading, “We like your style, but try harder next time.”

Gas hoarding eyed as cause of Dartmouth apartment fire [The Standard-Times]
(Photo: Getty)

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.