A Volkswagen dealership employee was taken to a hospital in Seattle after an explosion in the store's designated smoking area, firefighters said.<\/p>\n
The Volkswagen of Kirkland employee was burned, but conscious when taken to a local hospital around 6 p.m. local time Monday, according to Kirkland Fire Battalion Chief Seth Buchanan.<\/p>\n
The Kirkland, Wash., fire department said the dealership's smoking area is next to 55-gallon containers that were empty at the time but were previously filled with flammable liquid. The employee was vaping in that area when the explosion occurred, according to a news release from Kirkland Fire.<\/p>\n
\"We believe that it flashed, so the fire in the container was immediately out. It was just a flammable gas, but it kind of exploded and blew up a 55-gallon drum and, unfortunately, it was the patient that caught on fire,\" Buchanan said.<\/p>\n
The resulting explosion caught the employee's clothes, hair, hands and face on fire, Buchanan told Automotive News.<\/p>\n
The fire remains under investigation, Buchanan said.<\/p>\n
Investigators suspect the vape's electronic heater, which creates the vapor, contributed to the fire's ignition, Buchanan said.<\/p>\n
No damage was reported at the business, the release said.<\/p>\n
Volkswagen of Kirkland did not respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n
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Firefighters: Vaping triggered explosion at VW dealership - Automotive News<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A Volkswagen dealership employee was taken to a hospital in Seattle after an explosion in the store's designated smoking area, firefighters said. The Volkswagen of Kirkland employee was burned, but conscious when taken to a local hospital around 6 p.m Continue reading