ATF Fire Phenomenon Study

In December of 2011 a young, teenage, girl, Aubrey Clark was badly burned while attending a simple campfire.  As another girl went to pour a can of gasoline onto the fire, Aubrey was literally in the wrong place at the exact wrong time.  She was standing back and directly across from the girl who poured the gas onto the fire. 

Aubrey sustained burns over 30% of her body, initially it was determined that she would lose her lips, eyelids, ears, and hands. However, after 19 surgeries, skin grafting, and intense physical therapy, Aubrey is on her way back; back with her friends, back to hanging out...back to texting.

But, how did this happen?  How did a gas can become a blow torch and not an explosive?  The ATF performed the following study to determine how this phenomenon could occur.


As the following test footage shows, flames follow the fumes into the can then combust, throwing out flames up to 13 feet away.

Front View:


Slow Motion:


Side View: (shows distance of flame throw)