For it to spontaneously combust with no other, external ignition source other than self-heating alone, you’d have to reach over 700 degrees F!”. Hand sanitizer with 70% alcohol has a flash point of 21 deg C. The photo below is from hand sanitizer igniting in a hot vehicle that reached 35 deg C. inside the vehicle.” Facebook user, 19 May 2020 Although alcoholic hand sanitisers are potentially flammable, there would need to be a spark to start a fire at temperatures this low. © 2020 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. One day after a bottle of hand sanitizer caused a family's car to go up in flames in suburban Waukegan, the fire department is warning the public to … "Hand sanitizer with 70% alcohol has a flash point of 21 deg C. "The photo below is from hand sanitizer igniting in a hot vehicle that reached 35 deg C. inside the vehicle… “For it to spontaneously combust with no other, external ignition source other than self-heating alone, you’d have to reach over 700 degrees F!” NFPA wrote on May 21. Western Lakes Fire District in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, fueled the online confusion when it posted a similar claim and identical photo on May 21. Others replied to Meyers’ query claiming they had parsed the links provided in the original Facebook post, but none pointed to proof of the hand sanitizer blast theory. As summer arises and the coronavirus pandemic continues, concerns about the flammability of alcohol-based hand sanitizers (ABHS) are flooding the internet. warns about leaving hand sanitizer in your car on a warm day, sparking controversy Hand sanitizer and face masks are set out as church goers return to in … Thanks for contacting us. On May 22, NFPA published another video to debunk alcohol-based hand sanitizer car fire claims. The WLFD has since redacted its stance that alcohol-based hand sanitizers could ignite in a hot car. Warning issued about COVID-19 vaccine after patients suffer reaction, The spy who shagged 'em: Suspected Chinese agent reportedly slept with, courted pols, NYC Chipotle besieged by rats feasting on avocados, biting employees, Man on trial for killing schoolboy who threatened to reveal 'intimate' relationship, Grinding to a halt: 'Highest-earning sex worker’ sues over lost wages. Although leaving small amounts of ABHS in your car does not pose a significant fire risk, it should not be kept in vehicles because high temperatures can lower its disinfectant ability. “Keeping it in your car during hot weather, exposing it to sun causing magnification of light through the bottle — and particularly being next to open flame while smoking in vehicles or grilling while enjoying this weekend — can lead to disaster,” they explained. Facebook users responded to WLFD’s warning and use of the image with similar disbelief and outrage. posted a similar claim and identical photo, Fire safety considerations for hand sanitizer, NFPA 30 Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has acknowledged the low threat of ABHS fires, posted a statement apologizing for the confusion, published another video to debunk alcohol-based hand sanitizer car fire claims, Western Lakes Fires District Facebook Post, National Fire Prevention Association, "Fire safety considerations for hand sanitizer", Center for Disease Control and Prevention, "Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings", Western Lakes Fire District Facebook Post, National Fire Prevention Association, "Can hand sanitizer spontaneously ignite in a hot car? A fire department in Wisconsin is issuing a warning on the dangers of leaving hand sanitizers inside the car during a hot day. 43,420, © 2020 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved Just when you thought you were playing it safe. Wisconsin fire fighters deleted a warning that hand sanitizer could explode if left in hot cars after it went viral recently and apologized for causing "confusion." NFPA 30 Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code sets guidelines for safe storage. 2020/04/27 | Brazil. “From a fire safety standpoint, it is not unsafe to leave hand sanitizer inside a hot vehicle.”. Keeping it in your car during hot weather, exposing it to sun causing magnification of light through the bottle,” WLFD wrote. Local I-57 31 mins ago “While we never made the claim that the photo utilized was from our district or from an exploding container of hand sanitizer, it has become clear that that inference and speculation made is seem as though it was,” WFLD wrote. Fire brigade bosses have rubbished claims that bottles of hand sanitiser could catch fire if they are left in hot cars. Claiming the WLFD has an “ethical duty” to back up this claim, Meyers and others had finally goaded a response. ‘The alcohol hand sanitiser is becoming heated resulting in flammable vapours being released. “Using a hand sanitizer is a suitable alternative to hand-washing when protecting yourself from things like COVID-19 and that’s way more important than worrying about your hands spontaneously combusting,” NFPA staff writer Angelo Verzoni said in the video. The official Facebook page of the Western Lakes Fire Department in Wisconsin shared a cautionary post on May 21, 2020. This photo, shared by the Western Lakes Fire District in Oconomowoc, shows the aftermath of a car fire involving hand sanitizer. Privacy Notice WLFD later removed the warning and posted a statement apologizing for the confusion and clarifying that the image was not its own. That report noted that the temperature inside a car would have to approach 600 degrees Fahrenheit to cause hand sanitizer to explode. 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