The Hardin County Sheriff’s Office is alerting anyone who purchased kerosene “in the last few days” to be aware that the liquid may not actually be kerosene.
“Anyone who purchased kerosene in the last few days please check to ensure it’s actually kerosene,” the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office said in a Sunday night social media post. “The HCSO is investigating (an) incident involving a house fire that resulted when the owner purchased kerosene from a kerosene pump and it is actually believed to be gasoline.”
Of course, this “can be extremely dangerous,” police said, as kerosene is less volatile than gasoline. Kerosene’s flash point (the temperature at which it will generate a flammable vapor near its surface) is 101 degree or higher, whereas that of gasoline is as low as −40 degrees.
Gasoline is termed “flammable” because of its low flashpoint and high vapor density. Kerosene is termed “combustible” because its flashpoint is greater than 100 degrees.
Gasoline produces ignitable vapors that are three to four times heavier than air and can travel for great distances along the ground.
The Hardin Co. Sheriff’s Office did not include information on the exact location where the supposed kerosene was purchased. But if it’s true that gasoline was dispersed into a kerosene tank in Hardin County, the same could hold true for Grayson County.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
