DIY Life

Here's a noteworthy story I just spotted on the Reuters website, titled "Man blows up apartment spraying for bugs?" The New York Daily News originally reported the story about a New Jersey man who, while spraying insects in his apartment, somehow let the contents of the spray can ignite. (Spraying near a lit gas burner, perhaps?)

The mishap caused an immense blast that blew the windows out of the unfortunate man's kitchen. The explosion then started a fire that destroyed eighty percent of his apartment. The man, Isias Videl Maceda, was unhurt.

I guess the question mark in the title of the article indicates the incident is still under investigation, but I think it's fairly safe to say that whatever this gentleman was doing, he was doing it all wrong! The episode is a good reminder for all of us that chemicals -- especially those contained in aerosol cans -- must be kept away from heat sources.

[via Reuters.]

We're almost halfway through our 30-day Toolstravaganza giveaway. So far we've given away several tool sets for general fix-it work, a Dremel tool, a few saws, a router and a drill. Today's prize is a professional-grade Chapin Premiere 2-gallon spray canister-- coated and constructed for years of use. Of course, we already know DIY weed killers aren't worth putting inside, but that shouldn't stop you from filling this with all kinds of caustic and hazardous liquids, should it?

To enter, just leave a comment on this post and validate it. The entry period for today is 5AM-11:59PM EST, July 28. As always, good luck and thanks for reading DIY Life. Full rules after the jump and on our Toolstravaganza page.