Smoking can be bad for your health in more ways than one and this Russian man learned his lesson the hard way. CCTV footage from Chelyabinsk shows the driver of a second-generation Renault Logan setting himself ablaze after firing up a cigarette at the worst location possible. While refueling his subcompact sedan, the owner decided to have a smoke, thus ignoring what his chemistry teacher told him in school.
The incident took place on July 23 in west-central Russia, and it goes without saying it could’ve ended much worse. The already slightly damaged small sedan immediately caught fire but thankfully its gasoline tank didn’t explode, and the man was able to get inside the car and move it to a safer area. We can see him returning to the scene to put out the fire by using the gas station’s fire extinguisher.
Local media reports he sustained some injuries to his legs and is currently in the hospital, but will be ok after a skin graft. The video is a little reminder of why it’s always a bad idea to light up a cigarette at a gas station, and while this man lived to tell his fiery story, the outcome could’ve been downright tragic. Not just for him, but also for the gas station employees as well as other drivers refueling their vehicles at that moment.
This is exactly the reason why virtually all gas stations around the world have “no smoking” signs – to avoid this kind of reckless behavior. Refueling a gasoline or diesel car takes three to four minutes, so that next cigarette can certainly wait until the smoker reaches a safer zone where there isn’t a fire hazard.
