According to police and fire officials, a New Jersey man tried to get creative with removing snow and ice from his property on Friday. Rather than use a snow blower, a snow shovel, or de-icing materials like salt, the Midland Park resident opted for something a little more extreme: gasoline and fire.
Police reported that the man poured roughly a half gallon of gasoline onto a patch of his backyard amounting to several square feet. A neighbor noticed the suspicious activity and phoned police. When police and fire crews responded to the scene, the resident said he was attempting to melt the snow and ice away.
Midland Park, which isn’t located far from the New Jersey / New York border, has seen a considerable amount of snow in recent weeks. More than 2 feet of snow and ice have accumulated there since the first of the month.
The Bergen County Hazmat unit was eventually called to the home, where Speedy Dry was used to soak up the gasoline. Speedy Dry consists of absorbing granules that can soak-up oil and gas spills. The Hazmat unit worked with the fire department to soak up the poured gasoline and remove the Speedy Dry away.
Neighbors may need to keep an eye on things: another 6-10″ of snow is expected in the area by Friday.
