Open Bucket of Gas Contributed to Bellevue Van Explosion

BELLEVUE -- Fumes from an open bucket of gasoline inside a stalled van contributed to an explosion that sent three Bellevue residents to the hospital with burns, police and fire officials said Thursday.

The woman told investigators that she and two male friends were getting some gas from a Factoria gas station minutes before the explosion, according to a Bellevue police press release. They were having problems keeping the older model Chevy van running, so they filled an open bucket with two gallons of gas and kept it inside the van because they did not have a proper enclosed gas container.

After removing the engine cowling from between the two front seats to get direct access to the carburetor, the group used a water bottle to transfer gas from the bucket directly into the carburetor from the inside of the van to keep the engine running, police said.

The vehicle stalled just before 145 Place S.E and the driver tried to restart it, Bellevue police said. Investigators say that the fumes built up from the open bucket of gas exploded, triggered by the van's own ignition when the driver tried to restart the van.

The van became fully engulfed in flames and started rolling backwards, Bellevue police said. Witnesses told police  the woman jumped out the back of the van and fell to the ground on fire, with the van rolling over her leg. The two men, who were also on fire, jumped out of the van and ran towards the Chevron station on the corner. One of the men made it to the station and tried to douse himself with water, police said.

Bellevue Police and Bellevue Fire personnel responded immediately and the burning vehicle was quickly extinguished. The three victims remain at Harborview Medical Center for treatment of burns. Their names have not been released, and no charges will be filed, said Bellevue police spokeswoman Officer Carla Iafrate.

The fire closed Kamber Road for a while as police and fire responded to the blaze.

Bellevue Fire spokesman Lt. Eric Keenan said that it is a horrible idea to carry gasoline without a proper container, especially inside a vehicle.

Fumes from the gasoline can escape from a bucket, which creates a dangerous situation, he said.

"The fumes are what ignite," he said. "Especially in an enclosed environment, you're basically creating a situation where you can cause an explosion if the fumes find an ignition source."