Man accidentally ‘blows up’ car by lighting cigarette after spraying air freshener

'The fumes exploded and blew out his windscreen, along with some windows at nearby business premises,' say police

(West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service)

A car owner has sustained minor injuries after he sprayed air freshener from an aerosol can inside his vehicle before lighting a cigarette, causing an explosion.

West Yorkshire Police said the driver was stationary in traffic when the “dramatic” incident occurred in a street in Halifax.

They said the driver had not ventilated his car after spraying “excessive” amounts of air freshener on Saturday around 3pm.

He then lit a cigarette, causing the fumes to ignite. The explosion was powerful enough to damage the windows of nearby businesses, said police.

“The fumes exploded and blew out his windscreen, along with some windows at nearby business premises,” they said.

“The owner fortunately sustained only minor injuries but this could have been worse.”

Police have warned air freshener users to follow the guidelines on aerosol cans and keep them away from fire as they are extremely flammable.

A similar incident occurred in 2017, when a car exploded in an Essex car park, reported the Evening Standard. The driver involved also escaped with minor injuries.