Will Hand Sanitizer Cause a Fire in Your Vehicle?

There has been a lot of misinformation sharing on social media lately concerning hand sanitizer bursting into flames when kept in a hot vehicle this summer.  This unfortunate media muddle is the result of an American news outlet that didn’t quite understand fire chemistry. 

The NFPA (National Fire Prevention Association) explains it this way:
While it's true that most hand sanitizers have a flashpoint around room temperature, that doesn't mean the liquid will all of a sudden catch fire if it reaches that temperature. Flashpoint is a technical term used to characterize the propensity of a liquid to burn. It defines the temperature at which a liquid gives off enough vapor to become ignitible in the air. At that temperature, however, you still need an ignition source like a flame from a candle or a lighter for ignition to occur. 

The photo of a car interior door area burned has been widely circulated.  It originates from Brazil and it was hand sanitizer, but only after a car fire had ignited it. So, don’t worry about leaving your hand sanitizer in your hot vehicle.  It will not burst into flames on its own.  Keep using it when you go to town on sunny days.

TIVFD