In article > , "Jack Schidt®"
> writes:

>"sf" > wrote in message
.. .
>>
>> I'm from Michigan originally, but when I lived there our
>> heat was oil not gas. We had huge tanks which the
>> supplier's truck pumped oil into and they had to be a
>> certain number of yards from the house in case they blew up.
>> Oil, gas.... <shiver>
>
>It takes quite a bit of energy, aka spark to ignite No. 2 heating oil. You
>can toss a match on a bucket of it and it won't ignite.
>
>Jack Mobil

Even with a proper spark (about 12,000+ volts) No.2 home heating oil still
needs to first be *atomized*... its vapors alone will not readily ignite...
house fires directly attributed to home heating oil are *extremely* rare.
Fires/explosions from modern *pilotless* gas appliances are also *extremely*
rare. However, with high voltage electric appliances such as stoves and
clothes dryers house fires and electrocutions are not so rare... most
especially during this holiday season, when there's lots of cooking, company,
laundry, over-worked fridges, overloaded circuitry, extension cords from
decorations, and booze.

Btw, unless you're absolutely positive that your home wiring is in top notch
condition and is more than adequate for carrying its normal load, do NOT run
electric clothes dryers and/or electric stoves while an array of decorative
lights are energized... if you need to cook or dry clothes de-energize all
strings of holiday lighting... folks who live in older homes whose wiring
hasn't been inspected and upgraded recently are extremely vulnerable. Never
leave that tree lit without someone in the same room, someone sober.


---= BOYCOTT FRENCH--GERMAN (belgium) =---
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Sheldon
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"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."