"Fire Safety: By now many of you have heard about the tragic fire at the WKA Speedway Dirt National at Waynesfield, Ohio last weekend. For those of you who have not, here is a summary of what happened and how it affects you.
Around noon on Saturday, June 11, Bryant Renfro and his father, Glenn, were working in their trailer using a propane torch. There was an explosion. Both men exited the trailer on fire. Somehow, methanol fuel was poured on Bryan from an unmarked one gallon jug, making his injuries much worse. A quick thinking karter from the next trailer saw the two men on fire, grabbed a pail of water and poured it on Bryant. He then grabbed a second pail and poured it on Bryan and his dad. It took both pails of water to extinguish the flames.
The EMTs and ambulance arrived within three minutes of being called from across the pits. Both victims got into the ambulance on their own and were rushed about ten miles to the hospital in Lima, Ohio. From there, both were air lifted to a burn center in Toledo, Ohio. The first report from the burn center was that Glenn had second degree burns on 30 percent of his body. Bryant was in worse condition with second and third degree burns on 60 percent of his body.
The Race Director called a meeting of everyone in the Waynesfield pits to explain the situation and offer prayers for both men and their families. The karters took up a collection to help with expenses, and according to an Internet post, they raised $6,400 to help. It is our understanding that the Renfros have no health insurance. Their only insurance coverage is what they receive through their WKA pit passes.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Renfro family. This was a tragic accident that will almost certainly affect both Glenn and Bryant for the rest of their lives. Worse, it was the third pit fire in the past four weeks involving exactly the same procedure.
Now, how does this affect the WKANESPS competitors, pit crews, family members, and race officials? First, all three of these fires apparently were caused by the use of a propane torch to prep tires. This act is prohibited under WKA Tech Manual Section 107.3 FIRE SAFETY. WKANESPS will strictly enforce this rule. There will be no open flame used in the pits to heat or prep tires. Violation of this rule subjects offenders to suspension of their WKA membership.
Second, all fuel containers must be either brightly colored or have a red diamond flammable label. These labels are inexpensive and are readily available through Internet suppliers. We are asking our vendors to ensure that all fuel sold at the track will be in marked containers. By the way, this is often a local fire code.
Again, our thoughts and prayers go out to the Renfro family and the victims of the other two pit fires. We wish them a speedy and full recovery. Now it is up to all of us to help ensure that this never happens again."
