Car's Remote Triggers Explosion of Acetylene Gas in Trunk: New Hampshire Man Injured

By Mary Mitchell

Published on March 02, 2007

The March 1st gas explosion destroyed the car, damaged two nearby house trailers, sent debris scattering across the neighborhood, and was felt up to a mile and a half away. Craig Feetham, a 39-year-old heating, ventilation and cooling technician, smelled something odd near his trailer at about 6:00 a.m. He went out to his car to check; he was exiting his car when he activated the remote to open the trunk. The explosion and debris caused him severe face and hand lacerations and some burns, but Caritas Holy Family Hospital was able to treat and release Feetham later that day. The walls of the trailers in which Feetham and a neighbor lived were buckled by the explosion, and a window of one trailer was blown out.

Acetylene, a gas often used for welding, is a typical combustible material that should not be stored in a vehicle. The local fire marshal noted that the coil in trunk-opening devices can give off a slight electrical charge when activated, and the resulting arc can be enough to ignite gas.

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