Tammy Dodson was sitting around a small fire pit with her boyfriend and her sister on September 24th when the flames started dying down. Her boyfriend poured gasoline onto the fire to revive it. The can exploded, shooting onto a neighbor’s roof, and Dodson was engulfed in flames. She was intubated for ten days at a Phoenix burn center before she died last Sunday, just one day before her 59th birthday. The Maricopa County Medical Examiner ruled her death accidental, and Prescott Valley Police say the investigation is ongoing.
Dodson was a mother, a grandmother to three young children, and a healthcare worker. Her sister, Tara Carl, told reporters that the family is angry and that no one should ever throw gasoline or any igniting source onto a fire. It’s a warning worth repeating here at home, where backyard fire pits and charcoal grills are a year-round habit for plenty of households across Sarasota, Manatee, and the surrounding Gulf Coast communities.
The danger isn’t just the liquid. Gasoline gives off invisible vapors that can ignite from a distance, which is why pouring it on a fire, even a small one, can turn a quiet evening into an explosion within seconds. Instead, use kindling, a fire starter, or simply let the fire burn out. Have you ever used an accelerant on a fire at home? We’d like to hear how it went. Send us a message and tell us your story.
