Thanks everyone for the well wishes for my friend.
An Update: The Fire Marshall's investigation shows that the van's fuel tank went off first, and then the pail of gasoline.
He is now at home on a positive recovery path, as positive as 3rd degree burn recovery can be anyway.
This subject reminds me of another project car I had that caught on fire because of my improper terminating of a rubber fuel line to a hard line. I didn't re-form the bead on the hard line that was cut shorter from stock. On a hot day, the rubber line simply pulled off and sprayed gasoline on a hot manifold.
The first second, I smelled gasoline, the second I see white vapor streaming from the vents in the hood, the third second I see fire coming out of the vents in the hood. I got out and watched the car burn, almost to the ground until the fire department put it out.
The takeaway is: There can be no compromise for quality components and workmanship when working on the fuel system.
PANTERA INTERNATIONAL
A DE TOMASO CAR CLUB
Presents the De Tomaso Forums
The On-Line Meeting Place for De Tomaso Owners and Enthusiasts From Around the World
Clicking on the banner will take you to the sponsor's website.