WATCH: Static electricity fire engulfs car in flames at Israeli gas station
Motorist escapes unharmed from rare combustion near Lake Kinneret.
By JPOST.COM STAFFUpdated: NOVEMBER 28, 2016 11:14Static electricity fire at Israeli gas station, Credit: Fire and Rescue Authority Northern Division
As the country has faced widespread fires this week and last, another type of blaze incinerated a car being fueled this past weekend near Lake Kinneret, also known as the Sea of Galilee.A motorist managed to escape unharmed from a rare fire caused by static electricity that engulfed her vehicle in flames at a northern Israel gas station on Saturday.Police on Monday morning released footage of the incident that occurred at a gas station at the entrance to Kibbutz Ginosar.Initial investigations have determined that while the female motorist was filling her car with gasoline, she unknowingly transferred static electricity charges to the gas pump nozzle, which combined with fuel vapors resulted in a fiery combustion.CREDIT FIRE AND RESCUE AUTHORITY NORTHERN DIVISION The motorist managed to remove the fuel nozzle from her vehicle and flee the scene. Five firefighting teams were then called to the scene to battle the blaze.As dry conditions have pervaded well into November, an abundance of static electricity has been generated in the air.To prevent further such cases, it is recommended to apply hand cream or wear gloves to prevent friction that causes static electricity buildup. It is also recommended to ground the charges by touching another metal object before pumping gas.