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Priest in balloon is blown to ocean
Priest Visits boss
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(DA)Intravenous Birdseed Man
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ice diving instructor misses hole
HM:Battered Sausage
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(?)cutting up gas tank
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A "Hot" Idea.
Guns are not effective bee killers
In over his head...
Crushed crooks
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Chloroform and Sex Don't Mix
Man dies from mercury poisoning aft
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Beer, baseball, and an escalator
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Groin ... groin ... gone
toasted Grenade
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Teen sneaks out, plunges 11 floors
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Train hits man peeing on track
no through road my ass
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man falls into mt st helens
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Caution: Flammable Material
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Jumping From Bridge To Train
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Darwin Awards
2008 Slush Pile

This item was recently submitted by a reader.
Should I include it in the archive?
Vote to tell me what *you* think!

cutting up gas tank

2008 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance

Darwin says, "Thanks for the submission, it is a near miss of monumentally poor judgment -- yet this sort of event is too common to enter the archive nowadays. Thank you for the excellennt submission, Brian."
www.columbian.com (CONFIRMED)

Hockinson man seriously burned in fuel tank explosion

Saturday, April 12, 2008 By JOHN BRANTON, Columbian Staff Writer

A Hockinson man suffered serious burns Friday when his oxy-fuel cutting torch caused a large fuel tank to explode outside his home.

Leslie Stenersen was flown by Life Flight helicopter to the burn center at Legacy Emanuel Hospital in Portland, where he was listed in critical condition Friday night.

Many folks who live around Stenersen’s home at 20335 N.E. 159th St. heard the explosion, said Ray Steiger, volunteer spokesman for Fire District 3.

“When the guys left the station, they saw a tremendous plume of black smoke,” Steiger said.

Members of Fire District 3 rushed to the scene at 6:15 p.m. The Vancouver Fire Department also came to provide extra manpower and paramedic support.

It appeared that Stenersen had been cutting the end off the fuel tank, which he had moved with a tractor to a spot several hundred feet behind his home, Steiger said.

The explosion and fireball burned Stenersen and engulfed the tractor, destroying it.

“He crawled out part way, and his younger son dragged him the rest of the way,” Steiger said.

A Life Flight helicopter landed in a nearby field as paramedics worked to help Stenersen and moved him to the chopper. The copter lifted off about 7:15 p.m.

Firefighters used foam to quell the flames.

No one else was reported injured, and there was no damage to the family’s home, Steiger said.

Fire officials for years have warned people of the danger of using cutting torches on fuel tanks.

Oxy-fuel also is called oxyacetylene. Two tanks, one filled with flammable gas and another with pure oxygen, are used to heat ferrous metals to about 1,796 F to cut or weld.

JOHN BRANTON covers crime and law enforcement for The Columbian. He can be reached at 360-735-4513 or

john.branton@columbian.com.

Hockinson man dies after fuel tank explosion

Wednesday, April 16, 2008 By JUSTIN CARINCI, Columbian Staff Writer

A Hockinson man died in a Portland hospital Monday after being injured by an exploding fuel tank Friday.

Leslie Stenersen, 69, suffered serious burns after his oxy-fuel cutting torch caused a large fuel tank to burst outside his home, releasing a fireball and a huge plume of smoke just after 6 p.m. Friday.

He’d apparently been trying to cut the end off the fuel tank, according to a Fire District 3 official. He was taken by helicopter to Legacy Emanuel Hospital in Portland.

Submitted on 04/16/2008

Submitted by: Brian A.
Reference: The Columbian, 4-12-08

Copyright © 2008 DarwinAwards.com

Great? 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 Awful?
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>> Moderator Scores <<

Bruce said:
Definitely Keep: Darwin Award
It never ceases to amaze me how many people use open flames around fuel tanks without first making absolutely sure that the tank isn't empty of all fuel and accumulated fumes. Thanks for sending this in, Brian.


James said:
Definitely Keep: Darwin Award
So much for "doing it yourself"! Despite the numerous warnings of fire officials, this fellow just proceeded as planned. I wonder how many people really pay attention when the "friendly fireman" gives fire safety presentations starting sometime around the third grade? Anyway, another poor chap has checked in at the pearly gates! Thanks, Brian!


The Darwin Awards: Evolution in Action

Hardback. 327 pages. Autographed.
$15
185 Stories! In the ongoing saga of Survival of the Fittest, meet the thief who steals electrical wires without shutting off the current! Marvel at the would-be pilot who suspends his lawnchair from helium balloons! Learn from the man who peers into a gas can using a cigarette lighter...!

This book also includes a History of the Darwin Awards, Darwin Haiku, and a dozen humorous discussions of the implications of evolution, including the origin of idiots, and the role of testosterone.

Autographed by Author!

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