Not trying to stoke the fires, (couldn't help the pun!
) or
::002::
But having examined three fuel tank explosions, I think folks will find this interesting:
Believe it or not and contrary to popular belief, this is backwards. The inside of a gasoline tank with pretty much ANY liquid gasoline is too rich for combustion until the temperature is REALLY extreme! Not true for diesel or Jet-A. Of course, strike a spark near the outlet or at a point of leakage and you'll likely start a great fire.
Likewise, if you think running a dead empty tank is safest, you're probably wrong. This is especially true with some of the plastic tanks, as the plastic can absorb some of the fuel and release the vapors when empty. Being empty can bring the interior of the tank down from "too rich" to a mixture that can easily ignite.