Fire ignites as resident tries to siphon gas with vacuum, Wisconsin officials say
A homeowner sparked a garage fire while attempting to transfer gas between containers with a vacuum, Wisconsin firefighters said.
The Janesville Fire Department responded to a call about a residential fire on Sunday, July 17, according to the department’s Facebook page.
When firefighters arrived, they found the detached garage engulfed in flames. The fire spread to the main house, the department said.
Retired Lt. Dave Sheen posted photos of the incident, noting the vehicle in front of the garage also caught fire.
One person was taken to the hospital for minor burns to the arms and hands, the fire department said.
Sheen said the fire ignited when the resident “was transferring fuel between containers in the garage.”
The resident had used a wet/dry vacuum to siphon gas from the vehicle, the fire department said in a news release on July 17.
The department reminded people to use “only approved containers for moving flammable liquids.”
Authorities estimated that the fire damage cost $150,000.
Janesville is about 65 miles southwest of Milwaukee.
This story was originally published July 18, 2022 at 11:41 AM with the headline "Fire ignites as resident tries to siphon gas with vacuum, Wisconsin officials say."
