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In Fairfield County, Westport's Fire Marshal Nate Gibbons is concerned about the hoarding.
“When faced with the stunning jump in fuel costs, a few residents have resorted to gasoline hoarding,” Gibbons said. “People are taking any and every container to the pump and filling it up.”
Gibbons, who is concerned about the fire risk due to the flammability of gas and diesel, stressed that there are specially-made containers to store gasoline safely.
The cans to store small fuel quantities are metal or special red plastic, have safety nozzles, and can be effectively sealed against leaking vapors, which can ignite if they find a source of ignition, Gibbons said.
“You’ve seen them around and probably have one or two in your garage," he said. "It’s what they are designed for, safe storage of flammable liquids."
Store fuel outside your living area, and never in a basement, he added. And, transfer fuel using safety nozzles that shut off automatically in the event of a slip or a drop.
Always use funnels to minimize the risk of a spill.
Anyone with questions can call the fire marshal at 203-341-5020.
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