Georgia stylist's hair catches fire at gas pump

December 5, 2003

ALBANY, Ga. -- A hair stylist was pumping gas into her car when her hair burst into flames.

``That scared me to death,'' said stylist Traci Marshall.

The fire was probably caused by static electricity from Marshall's hair rubbing against her clothes, said her husband, Camilla firefighter Lt. Bill Marshall.

The static electricity apparently mixed with gas fumes and ignited the fire Sunday.

``I started beating my hair to get out the fire and saw flames coming out of the gas tank,'' she said. A man with a fire extinguisher put out the blaze.

Traci Marshall had to cut her hair and get her truck repaired.

Bill Marshall advised people to ground themselves before pumping gas by touching the metal of their cars. ``Once you get out of your vehicle, don't get back into the vehicle until you are through,'' he said.

Officials also remind people to turn off cell phones and pagers when pumping gas because those devices can also spark explosions.