Just for you, publius1...

[jsbowden]

Yes, I was on fire once. Next time I see you, I can show you the scars if you want.

It was not pleasant. It was the one time in my life I've had morphine. I totally understand why some people become junkies.

Oh, and as an afterthought, it was the only time I've ever gotten seen in an ER without having to wait.

Comments

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

So, uh, why were you on fire?

[publius1.livejournal.com]

Seriously. And man.

[jsbowden.livejournal.com]

A friend was cleaning a carburetor in an open pan of gasoline on the floor of another friend's garage that we communally used to work on our cars. I was smoking and walked in to the garage (I wasn't aware of what he was doing when I went in). Gas fumes are heavier than air. I knew this, but wasn't really thinking about it when I dropped the cigarette to put it out. The *wooooomf* and the slow moving ring of blue flame, centered on where my smoke landed, coincidentally enough, caused the gas in the pan to light. Said friend panicked and splashed burning gas on my legs in the process of putting it out. The human body really doesn't burn well...it's made of entirely too much water, but with the application of enough flammable liquids, this problem can be overcome.

[jsbowden.livejournal.com]

See my response to John.

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

Wow.

You know, I know people who've *tried* to set fire to gasoline with a cigarette and haven't managed to do it, even after a dozen attempts.

[jsbowden.livejournal.com]

Did they try in an enclosed space where the fumes had been building up for at least half an hour? It also helps apparently if the cigarette lands tip down, so it sends sparks of burning tobacco when it hits the concrete.

[skwidly.livejournal.com]

The key, here, is that it wasn't the gasoline that ignited, but the vapors. Presumably there wasn't much wind that day and the mechanic-friend hadn't been moving around much. As any Mythbusters viewer learns pretty quickly, though, Gas vapors have to be at *just* the right air/fuel mixture to ignite, though...Jamie definitely wasn't particularly lucky that day.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_constantine/]

Most military jets these days carry a tank of liquid oxygen on board, to supply the pilot with breathable air at higher altitudes. As a result, military ships deploying jets (carriers and beach assault transports) typically have a plant onboard to produce liquid oxygen. On carriers, this plant is located off of the hangar deck, which is where the planes are parked when they're not flying. Problem with planes is, they tend to drip things (lubricant, hydraulic fluid, oil, etc) so each plane typically has a large (6'x6' or so) drip pan underneath it. And the hangar deck can get quite crowded...

Folks who work in the O2N2 plants are issued special boots that are pre-shined, so they don't have to apply shoe polish which may react adversely in the oxygen-rich environment. That didn't help the poor squid who stepped out of the aft O2N2 plant and stepped right into a drip pan though, and promptly went up like a roman candle.

I'm told they only found a few remaining pieces of him, later on.

[culfinriel.livejournal.com]

God. I hope it healed well enough that it isn't still a problem.

[jsbowden.livejournal.com]

In VA in August, we don't have wind. We don't even have much in the way of light breezes.

[jsbowden.livejournal.com]

Let's just say that I hated my PT when it was all over. I know WHY she tortured me, and I'm grateful that I have full range of motion in my left ankle, but holy fuck was getting that back painful.

[jsbowden.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it takes a special kind of fire to turn bone to ash, which is why it's usually ground up when people are cremated.

[culfinriel.livejournal.com]

I can't imagine. It sounds awful.

Firebug!

[evilxyzzy.livejournal.com]

Some of you may not know that Jamie was known as Firebug in Highschool, not cause he set fires, but because his car caught on fire and it was a VW Beetle. Hrm, maybe he did carry around lighters too I dont remember however I do remember that we used to sit outside Jason's house ( where Jamie BBQ'd his leg ) using a sears sandblaster with the hose dropped in a gas can, as a flamethrower.

The look on Jason's mom's face was awesome.

Ah, good times.

How did we survive?

Re: Firebug!

[jsbowden.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure it had nothing to do with using our heads or anything silly like that...