Abstract: A contractor had been hired to decommission an approximately 2,000 gallon capacity underground gas tank from a nonfunctioning gas station. He had pumped 200 gallons of unleaded gas out of the tank into 55 gallon barrels. The last 55 gallons of gas were mixed with water. The contractor wanted to salvage the tank for his company's use as a diesel tank and took it to his property, where it appears he intended to cut a hole with a torch in the bottom of the tank to clean it out. The tank had not been flushed, ventilated, or tested for vapors. To test for vapors before cutting, Employee #1 held a 4 ft stick with a burning piece of paper on it up to the vapor vent hole at the top of the tank. The vapors ignited and backed into the tank. The tank exploded and the explosion killed Employee #1 and seriously injured Employee #2.