.. how the hell do they prove a fire was caused by a pair of nylon knickers?
Typical scene: woman admits getting back in her car while it's refueling, then gets out and removes the nozzle, and the fire starts. We now have warnings at gas pumps to touch some metal part of the car before inserting or removing the nozzle.
Friction between certain insulators creates an electrostatic charge of up to 40,000 volts or more. Plastic loves to hold a charge. Plastic gas containers must be on the ground while being fueled. I recently hollered at a guy who was filling plastic gas containers while standing in the bed of his pickup with a plastic bed liner.
Same goes for refueling an aircraft from plastic containers. Everything must be brought to the same electrical potential, or ESD - a spark - will occur.
GB