Homeowner burns down house after deciding to clear prank toilet paper by setting it on fire

Daily Mail Online ^ | January 21, 2014 | Daily Mail Reporter

[Teotwawki]

An Alabama woman got more than she bargained for after she tried to clear toilet paper from her yard by setting it on fire and accidently burned down her house. Cheryl Crausewell's home and yard in Dora were TP'd by neighborhood kids on Saturday and the nightmare began when she and her son tried to quickly clear the paper from a tree with fire on Monday. A bit of the flaming toilet paper leaped from the tree, charred most of her yard, whipped around to a backyard barbecue propane tank and eventually engulfed the entire home. Crausewell suspects the propane tank may have exploded, contributing to the blaze.

[Cyber Liberty]

Fair enough, Sherm. I’ve known you a long time and I think I know when it’s best to just take your word on something...

:^)

[Clay Moore]

Tanks can do do what is called a BLEVE. Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sl-JgyQA7u0

It occurs when the vent can no longer vent fast enough, pressure builds, and the tank welds fail.

[YHAOS]

Did they get rid of all the TP?

[vetvetdoug]

That's a $h1tty way to lose ones home.

[JoeFromSidney]

Here, when a house or tree is TP'd, we just wait for the next rain. Don't even bother washing the stuff down with a hose.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Gotcha. In my mind...I saw the tank in this story as a 20 lb. tank. Perhaps a bad assumption on my part. If it were, then my statements would apply. I have no knowledge of how a 200 pounder would react. Well...not strictly true. I do now.

[gorush]

NP, my story is only anecdotal to you. I am only reporting a first hand report. Interestingly, I can also report a propane related incident back in the late '70's (I think). I unfortunately witnessed a frozen propane tank...this was while the outside temp was reported as -58 to -60 F.

Remember -40 is -40 no matter how you look at it. :{)

[reformedliberal]

WOW!

I’m in Wisconsin. The tank for our shop had been overfilled one summer and vented. It was extremely hot, but all it did was vent. It was old and the paint was in poor shape. Hubby repainted it reflective silver and that was the end of the problem. We did immediately notify the supplier and they sent someone out to check it. Paint was all it needed.

[gorush]

The one I was near probably had a faulty vent.