Bellevue police say van blast caused by open bucket of gas
Posted by John de Leon

Turns out it was a combination of gas fumes, an open bucket of gas -- and some questionable decisions -- that caused Wednesday's van explosion and fire that injured three people in Bellevue.

One of the victims told police the group had obtained gas from a gas station minutes before the explosion. They didn't have a gas can so they filled an open bucket with two gallons of gas.

They had removed the cowling from over the engine, which is located between the two front seats. The occupants used a water bottle to transfer gas from the bucket directly into the van's carburetor to keep the engine running.

The van became filled with gas fumes. After the vehicle stalled they tried to restart it and it exploded into flames, fire investigators said.

The two men and a woman suffered burns when the Chevrolet Ford Econoline van exploded around 2:20 p.m. The van had had pulled out of a Chevron gas station on the southwest corner of Kamber Road and 145th Place Southeast, made a right turn onto Kamber Road and then "just exploded," according to Bellevue police spokeswoman Carla Iafrate.

The three burn victims, believed to be 30 to 40 years old, were taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, Iafrate said. The two men were in serious condition and the woman was in satisfactory condition on Wednesday evening.

All three are from Bellevue.

Initially, police said the van was a Ford. But they're now saying it was a Chevy.

Submitted on 01/20/2011

Submitted by: Kurt Zimmers
Reference: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/theblotter/2013986982_bellevue_investigators_say_the.html

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Bruce said:
Definitely Keep: Honorable Mention
At first I was concerned that one or two of the victims might be considered innocent bystanders but it sounds like thy were all well aware of what was going on for a prolonged period of time given what they were doing to try to keep the engine running. And if none of them tried to stop this idiocy or simply walk away then they're all responsible in my opinion. Thanks, Kurt!

Candi said:
Definitely Keep: Honorable Mention
No gas can, removing the engine cowling, pouring the gas into the carburetor instead of into the tank with a funnel, and then allowing this to go on long enough for massive gas fumes to accumulate? What were they all THINKING?! Thanks, Kut!

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