WENATCHEE, Wash. – An explosion at the Quick Stop gas station on Ferry Street in Wenatchee caused significant damage over the weekend.
The incident destroyed a fuel pump and two motorcycles. Investigators have identified two potential causes for the explosion.
The most likely cause is fuel dripping from the pump onto a hot part of a motorcycle.
Fire Marshal Kurt Blanchard from the Wenatchee Valley Fire Department explained, “Any sort of fuel that drips down on a hot manifold– especially in the summertime– we’re experiencing a heat wave with hundred-degree temperatures– there’s a high likelihood that it’s going to ignite fuel vapors.”
Fire experts recommend always turning off your vehicle when refueling to prevent such incidents.
Blanchard also mentioned a second, less likely cause for the explosion could be static electricity.
