On January 28th, Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-5) and Congressman David Joyce (OH-14) introduced H.R. 806, the Portable Fuel Container Safety Act.  The legislation directs the Consumer Product Safety Commission to adopt a standard requiring the addition of flame mitigation devices to consumer-grade portable fuel containers.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) estimates fire departments respond to an average of 160,910 fires per year involving ignition of a flammable or combustible liquid.  These fires result in approximately 454 civilian deaths, nearly 4,000 civilian injuries, and an estimated $1.5 billion in direct property damage annually. Requiring flame mitigation devices to be added to consumer-grade portable fuel containers will help prevent “flame jetting” or “flashback” to the fuels and vapors within the container and will help prevent burn injuries and fatalities.

The legislation has been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.