Tacoma: Woman, 20, burned while siphoning gas
A woman was burned Wednesday night while trying to siphon gas from a Salvation Army van, Tacoma police said.
Paramedics took the 20-year-old woman to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for treatment, police spokesman Mark Fulghum said.
A witness called police shortly after 10:30 p.m. Wednesday after seeing a man and a woman trying to siphon gas from a Salvation Army van parked in a church parking lot at 1110 Puget Sound Ave. The witness walked over to get a better view and startled the two, Fulghum said.
“Moments later, fire erupted,” Fulghum said.
The van, a nearby vehicle and the two would-be gas thieves caught fire. The woman ran toward the witness, who told her to drop and roll. The woman didn’t comply, and the witness used a garden hose to douse the flames, Fulghum said.
The man was able to extinguish his flames. He and stayed for a short time and talked to witnesses, but fled before police arrived, Fulghum said.
Tacoma firefighters put out the remaining flames, which damaged the van and nearby vehicle. Paramedics took the woman to Harborview. A Tacoma police officer went to the hospital but was unable to talk to the woman, Fulghum said. Her injuries were not considered life-threatening.
The woman could face charges related to the gas theft and fire when released from the hospital, Fulghum said.
What caused the fire is under investigation, he said.
