North Carolina Convenience Store Mix-up of Kerosene, Gasoline Causes 2 House Fires

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Officials in Winston-Salem, N.C., say a kerosene and gasoline mix-up at a convenience store led to two fires, both at houses.

The Winston-Salem Journal reports Winston-Salem Fire Department Division Chief Sandy Shepherd told a news conference that a small house fire on Thursday is still under investigation, but no injuries were reported. The fire started when gasoline spilled and ignited, burning a small part of carpet in the house.

The department’s hazardous material team tested two samples of the fuel at the store and determined it was gasoline.

The city issued an urgent alert Wednesday after a house fire was linked to the kerosene and gasoline mix-up at the convenience store on the city’s north side. One person had a burned hand and another person suffered minor smoke inhalation in the house fire.

Shepherd said six customers bought about 30 gallons of the fuel. He said three of those customers have been identified, including the two who were linked to the house fires.

Also, Shepherd said the fuel was delivered to the convenience store at 2 a.m. Jan. 2. He urged people who bought fuel from the convenience store after Jan. 2 and suspect that they have bad fuel to call 911.