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SALT LAKE CITY — No injuries were reported Monday after an RV driver pulled out of a gas station with a gas hose still attached, dragging the pump down and immediately sparking a fire at the pump.
Police and fire crews responded to a report of a small explosion at the Chevron located at 1704 W. North Temple shortly before 9 a.m., according to Salt Lake Police Sgt. Mark Wian.
"A vehicle had pumped some gas and drove off with the hose still attached," he said. "It dragged the entire pump away and it caught on fire."
Surveillance video shows the pump erupting into flames immediately as it was dragged to the ground. The vehicle dragged the pump a few dozen feet before the nozzle broke off, leaving the pump behind. Mikey Kelly was in the area at the time and told KSL-TV there were "big giant flames" that soared about 10 to 15 feet high, with black smoke billowing "all over the place."
A Utah Department of Transportation camera located at the intersection of North Temple and Redwood Road captured footage of two fires — one at that damaged pump and another closer to a building complex, where the pump ended up.
Explosion at the gas station on Redwood Rd and North Temple. Expect road closures in the area. pic.twitter.com/3vn2Lsk24T
— Heather Kelly (@KSLHeatherKelly) December 27, 2021
Salt Lake City police happened to be in the area at the time the fire began, which allowed them to report the fire. Salt Lake City Fire Department crews arrived on the scene quickly and doused the fires. Lanes on both Redwood Road and North Temple reopened within 30 minutes of the incident.
The driver of the RV was also located and was cooperating with police, Wian said. He added the incident "appears to be an accident," but the driver could face a citation for leaving the scene of an accident.
It wasn't clear if the vehicle received any damage, but the station was closed Monday as a result of its damage. The incident also forced neighboring businesses to close for the day so the officials could secure the area of the gas station.
It's not extremely rare for drivers to forget to remove the gas nozzle from their vehicles while filling up their tanks; however, nozzles are designed to detach to prevent extensive gas pump damage. The Petroleum Equipment Institute notes that almost all stations have breakaway connectors that pull apart in the case a driver pulls out with the nozzle still attached to their vehicle.
"Instantly, a valve closes in each of the two now-separate parts of the connector," the institute wrote, regarding the design feature. "This closing action prevents fuel from flowing out of either of the parted sections of the hose. In addition, the separation of the breakaway connector prevents the motorist from pulling the dispenser off the pump island."
It wasn't clear why that didn't happen Monday morning.
"I'm glad nobody was hurt," Kelly said.
Contributing: Sean Moody, Heather Kelly, Ashton Goodell
