Sweaty drivers hoping a spray of perfume or deodorant might make them smell better are being urged not to leave the bottles or cans in their cars as the intense summer heat could witness the containers bursting into flames.
Hidd Police Station head Colonel Dr Osama Bahar yesterday explained that high temperatures inside vehicles make the flammable products highly dangerous.
Speaking on the Interior Ministry’s Al Aman social media programme, Col Dr Bahar explained the connection between perfumes, heat and fire.
“There is no doubt everybody loves perfumes but they can cause fires inside your car if you are not careful,” he said.
“Imagine that your car is parked outside and it is 35C under the sun. In around 15 to 30 minutes, the temperature inside the car will rise by an additional 15C, meaning it is now 50C inside.
“Within half-an-hour, the temperature will increase by another 20C, which means that it is suddenly around 70C inside the car – the temperature inside has essentially doubled in less than an hour.
“Now, if the temperature outside is already 40C or 50C, those numbers get even higher, potentially reaching up to 85C on a very hot day inside, making it dangerous to keep perfumes in vehicles.”
Perfumes contain a high percentage of flammable alcohol and are often packaged under pressure. Extreme heat increases the vapour pressure inside glass perfume bottles or pressurised aerosol cans containing deodorants. The containers can crack, leak, or even burst into flames. Also, if concentrated vapours from the perfume or leaked liquid reach an ignition source, such as an electrical spark from the car’s interior, a lit cigarette, or a lighter, the flammable mist can catch fire instantly.
Other factors that could add to the danger include the colour of the vehicle, as darker ones tend to absorb heat and seat fabrics, especially leather, add to the intensity.
Experts recommend that people avoid storing perfumes, air fresheners, or pressurised cans of any description on a car dashboard, or in direct sunlight. Instead, people should opt for water-based sprays or non-aerosol fragrances, which can reduce the risk of fire and container failure.
Col Dr Bahar explained the science behind the issue. “The bottle itself, whether it is perfume or otherwise, will become a lens,” he explained. “Specifically, it becomes a concave lens, which gathers light and turns it into a concentrated point of heat that reaches the point of combustion.
Motorists are being urged to avoid leaving perfumes inside vehicles
“High heat from the sun increases heat inside the car and concentrates the light rays at a point. This lights up the liquid inside the bottle, making it incredibly dangerous to leave in cars.”
There are multiple items that motorists should ensure are never left inside vehicles, including disposable lighters, aerosol cans, power banks, portable batteries, damaged phone chargers, hand sanitisers, glass bottles and fuel containers.
High temperatures inside a parked car can cause pressurised plastic lighters to burst and ignite. Deodorants, spray paint and even cleaning cans build up extreme pressure in the heat and can explode or catch fire.
Lithium-ion batteries in damaged or cheap power banks can overheat and experience thermal runaway. Faulty wiring and low-quality charging cables can short-circuit and spark.
Hand sanitisers are highly flammable if exposed to a spark or extreme ambient heat.
Left in direct sunlight, even clear plastic water bottles and glasses can act as a magnifying glass, focusing sun rays onto flammable upholstery or paper.
Finally, gas cans or fuel additives release vapours that ignite easily from minor heat sources.
Coincidentally, the warning comes shortly after Civil Defence officers extinguished a car blaze in Sadad. Initial inspections indicated that an electrical short circuit caused the fire.
n If your vehicle catches fire while you are driving, safely pull over in the emergency lane and turn off the engine as soon as possible. Then evacuate the vehicle immediately and move to a safe distance before calling 999 and giving authorities your exact location. In the meantime, do not open the hood, as the sudden oxygen could worsen the fire, and wait at a safe distance until Civil Defence officers arrive at the scene.
nader@gdnmedia.bh
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