Petrol... How flammable *is* it?
Being 12 or so, and being the summer holidays when parents left you to you own devices way before knife crime or pedophiles were invented, I took heed of the advice from the popular kids tv program "Why don't you?".
I set up my experiment in the garage. Was a large garage, double doors one end, up-and-over at the 'car' end. No cars inside.
Found the petrol can and put a small amount on the floor. Made a very small puddle of about 2 inches on the concrete floor. Standing about a metre or so away, lit a match. Happily tossed it forwards to the puddle.
*WHUMPH*
About a metre round pool of very fucking hot fire, with a thick, black cone of smoke rising began to burn very furiously indeed. A little more fire there than I expected.... Time methinks to extinguish. Water. Where is the hosepipe? Out the double door, across the garden, grab the hose. On the way actually think about it and realise oil floats on water and this may cause 'issues'. So I abandon the idea in favour of some sand - which I find behind the garage. See, the young 'Stuntman was a clever sod. Only a handful was needed and the fire was brought under control.
*Whew*, that was lucky.
And it was at this exact moment, studying the scene of the blackened concrete and sand mixed into the centre of the garage and the thick, black plumes of smoke now billowing from the door when I noticed something which may have adversely affected the results of my experiment. A 200 gallon heating oil tank, half full with kerosene. Conveniently located inside the garage. Next to the blackened floor.

Dad never knew what turned the floor a little black. Or my pants a little brown.
(unknownstuntman, Thu 24 Jul 2008, 16:53, 1 reply)

For the record
Half a cup is about the equivalent of 1 stick of dynamite...

You got off lightly

/nerdylecturemode

Actually, meths is a lot scarier - it burns clear, so there is no visible flame to warn you jesusbloodyfuckmethats hot...
(GMRage stood a little straighter, Tue 29 Jul 2008, 9:11, closed)