Neighbour has spilled petrol and my whole house stinks

[Heysiriyouknob]

Ok, so my powers of smell are obviously shit and I thought it was a gas leak (in my defence it's the living room that stinks and there is an old gas fire in there we don't use).

Called the "if you smell gas" emergency number they came out within half an hour. He immediately knew it wasn't gas but checked everything. He knocked next door and after much swearing (our next door neighbour is a fucking joy), was told that he had spilled some petrol on his patio.

This was at 11pm. The whole down stairs of my house stinks now.

Am I being stupid about worrying about fire risk from next door? I didn't go to sleep last night worrying there would be a fire next door.

I can't tell you how much my living room stinks. Front windows open all night (another reason for no sleep, we live in a crap area).

A night of no sleep so anxiety is off the scale this morning, always worse on no sleep so I'm not really thinking.

What do I do?

Don’t want to read and run but could you call the local fire station for advice? (Not 999 obviously)
I can understand your anxiety 💐

Has he hosed it down? I'm not as 'sensitive' to smells as some people on mn but petrol truly makes me feel sick

If it hasn't been washed away then having the windows open presumably would allow more smell in rather than airing out downstairs.

If/when it's been cleaned, air again, and possibly try febreze on fabrics such as curtains. Hell, I'd probably spray it everywhere anyway.

I'd be seriously stressed and worried it would bring on a migraine

I've no idea what he's done. He slammed the door in the face of the gas man (it was late but it was clear they were still up as tv on, curtains open etc). I'm not in a hurry to go knocking today.

It really, really does smell. It's even worse this morning. I'm going to tell the landlord - curtains are his, it's carpeted we are hopefully moving a soon as are in the process of buying so I don't want to be stung for this.

Upstairs doesn't smell but I can't take my Dd and the baby downstairs to that when they wake up.

Sod's law Dh wasn't here, his grandmother is very unwell so he had gone over to get medical care for her. He wasn't back until an hour ago after seeing her off to hospital.

Seriously thinking of decamping to the in-laws with the baby and Dd - but not sure what Dh can do about the smell?

It's so, so strong. I got half way down the stairs and it's so bad you feel sick. I can't have my 7 month old breathing that in.

He said it was spilled at back - quite big houses so front windows open. There is no smell outside at the front.

The smell was strongest at the fireplace, chimney obviously shared between the houses. That's why I thought gas as there is a horrible old gas fire plonked in ours that we never use.

I’d do as you suggest and call the landlord and move into the in laws and try to throughly air the place out.

Hmmm there must be some legislation or something that covers this. Like someone said fire brigade or environmental health. Agree its not healthy to breath in the fumes.

Call the fire brigade, landlord and definitely environmental health is an offence to spill fuel, you need to clean it up properly so it doesn’t get into the ground or contaminate anything.

Environmental health will be very interested to hear this.

It’s a health risk not to mention the fire risk. How much petrol are we talking? Why would your neighbour be chucking it about?

No idea how much petrol. But it stinks. No idea why he would be spilling it everywhere either.

He's not the friendliest of people to say the least. We have to call someone. I'm packing up the girls bit to go to Dh parents for the day. They can't stay here it's eye watering.

Go the number for the local fire station. Looking for local environmental health.

Our patios are joined with just the fence inbetween. Dh just been out the back and it doesn't smell. It's in the house.

That’s concerning that the house smells more than outside.

I’d do the same and take the children out for the day. The fire/environmental people will know what to do.

Environmental health should be on your local council website.

Or the environment agency actually might be a better call.

That is worrying. The fire brigade will probably be able to tell you what you should do.

0800 80 70 60

Is the number for an environmental incident. I’d call them actually. They are the government body. Probably will be more on the case than local council.

@DobbyTheHouseElk

0800 80 70 60

Is the number for an environmental incident. I’d call them actually. They are the government body. Probably will be more on the case than local council.

Should have said, this is the environment agency number, 24 hour number. My friend used to work for them and they are the people to call.

Thank you!

You could ring council environmental health and ask what is possible?

Oh lots of updates sorry! I hope you get some help, sounds grim.

www.environmental-protection.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Storing-Petrol-at-Home.pdf

www.hse.gov.uk/fireandexplosion/petrol-storage-club-association.htm

I had this and did the exact same thing as you as I thought it was gas! Turned out next door had spilled petrol in the garden. They poured some sand on it and the smell gradually went away, we had to go over my dads as the smell was so strong to begin with. I can't remember what they did after putting sand on it tbh but I assume they cleaned it somehow.

This will tell you who your local contact is.

apea.org.uk/pages/contacts/petroleum-licensing-and-enforcing-authorities

Right, called environmental health. As it's a civil matter and a privately owned property they won't get involved. Local fire service said nothing they can do unless we think it's a fire danger just that next door should have called them for help with a petrol spill.

Landlord asked if he could pop in this eve, the place still stinks. I'm just worried about his carpets absorbing the smell to be honest. He's good though said he'd clean/change if that happens.

Dh at home with all windows and doors open to air the place.

It's so odd though that the smell is centred on the shared chimney brest.

@Heysiriyouknob did you call environmental health or the environment agency? That’s awful they won’t attend.

I wonder if your neighbour had tried to light a fire. Or get rid of something with petrol in the fireplace?

Both. Dh called the number given on here, I called the council.

Yeah that's what Dh thinks, he probably tried to light something in the fireplace. During the morning he said the smell had started to seep though the (closed off) chimneybreast in the bedroom above.

I've come home now, it's bloody freezing with the doors open all day but the smell was still very noticeable when I walked in the door.

Goodness. It’s a worry how much he’s used. I don’t know what else to suggest.

I’m disappointed that the environment agency won’t come out. We have a oil fuel tank for our heating and we’ve been told that it we have a spill we can be prosecuted if we don’t alert the environment agency.

Airing the house is going to be ok in the day, but at night I don’t know what you can do. If the petrol is still there which it sounds like it is, the smell will take a long time to fade. Also it’s not healthy to breath it in.

I still can't smell it in the garden. The way the houses are laid out, with long back extensions the fireplace is a about 30 feet away from where he said he spilt it.

It makes zero sense that the smell is so strong there.