Introduction
This section will be an overview of the essay. It will mainly entail general facts about fire. This includes the number of gas station fires that have occurred in the world, their possible causes, and the effects that such fires have had with regards to injury, loss of life, destruction of property, and health hazards. To be more specific, this part will critically analyze gasoline fires that have occurred in the United States of America.
It will recap on the first fire that ever occurred in the history of the United States of America. This was the gas station fire that occurred in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1912. This incident will then be compared with more recent incidents that have occurred in the United States to determine their similarities and differences. The final part of this essay will be to state the possible causes of fires that occur in gas stations.
Direct fire
Direct fire will be the main cause of gas station fire that the essay shall concentrate on. Here, the possible causes of direct fire shall be discussed. This includes fire from cigarettes, kitchen fires, excessive heat, and any other factor that may result in the occurrence of direct fire. The essay will then focus on how to direct fire can result in the development of severe fires at a gas station. It will determine the possible faults that may lead to the development of fires, the potential risks that they may cause, and finally means through which such factors can be avoided. This will be achieved by critically analyzing relevant literature that has been written on causes of fires with special emphasis on American gas stations (Miles 22).
Static fire
This section will concentrate on the effects of static fires and the role they play in the occurrence of gas station fires. The first step of the essay will be to define what static fires are, identify its sources, and determine the potential risks that it poses to the community. After the definition of static fire, a list of the various causes of static fires shall be made. This includes electricity, cellular phones, the human body, and any other possible source.
Due to the bulk of literature, this part will only concentrate on how cell phones and electricity may cause fires at gas stations. The chemistry behind the production of electrical sparks from cell phones due to their interactions with radio waves and how they may ignite gasoline shall be discussed. How electrical faults and sparks may ignite a fire in a gas station shall also be discussed. Finally, preventive measures will be discussed in the final part of the essay. To gather relevant literature, scholarly articles, and journals that concentrate on fire safety shall be used (Kirk 19).
Explosives
Explosives shall form the last segment on the possible causes of fires at gas stations in the essay. This part will mainly concentrate on factors that may lead to the occurrence of explosions, the chemical reactions that are involved, and finally the effects that such fires may have. Finally, the essay will concentrate on how terrorism with regards to explosives and gas station fires.
Conclusion
This will form the final section of the essay. It will recap on the major arguments that have been advanced by the essay. It will also contain a summary of the findings of the essay. Finally, a few recommendations will be stated that will aim at curbing the occurrence and effects of gas station fires.
Works Cited
Kirk, J. Fire Investigation. Upper Saddle River (NJ): Prentice-Hall, 2012.
Miles, M. (2009). Fires at retail gas stations: the role of static electricity. American Journal of Safety, 44 (2), 2009, 19-25.