Beware - TASER device can ignite explosive materials, liquids or vapors

Authorities in San Angelo, Texas are probing what role the taser may have had in igniting a man who had doused himself with gasoline and whether the taser or the lighter that was on the porch nearby could have contributed to setting this man on fire.

Juan Flores Lopez, 47, died yesterday at a Lubbock hospital.

"We don't know what ignited the fire," police Lt. Curtis Milbourn said.

Taser International warns that tasers, gasoline and lighters are a dangerous combination to be avoided. On its website, under the heading "Law Enforcement Warnings", I found - among other warnings - the following:

To minimize the risk of injury during or from deployment, follow these guidelines:

"Beware - TASER device can ignite explosive materials, liquids or vapors. These include gasoline, other flammables, explosive materials, liquids or vapors (eg., gases found in sewer lines, methamphetamine labs, and butane-type lighters). Some self-defence sprays use flammable carriers such as alcohol and could be dangerous to use in immediate conjunction with TASER devices."