A driver backing into a gas pump is bad enough. When that pump catches fire, things get much worse, especially if workers aren’t sure how to shut off the fuel.
That’s what happened at a Speedway gas station in Bloomington, Indiana, on October 20, 2026. A fire broke out at the station on East Third Street, across from College Mall, sending thick black smoke into the air.
Firefighters rushed to the scene and put out the flames. But the trouble didn’t end there. People who said they were working at the station later shared a worrying detail about the emergency fuel shutoff.
A photo of the fire soon appeared on Reddit, where locals began talking about what happened. Among the comments were claims from workers who said they had never been shown where to find the button that stops the gas pumps.
A Bad Parking Job
gas pump caught on fire
by
u/Environmental-Dog422 in
bloomington
The fire started after a vehicle backed into a gas pump. The Bloomington Fire Department gave that account to The Bloomingtonian, which shared the cause of the fire in an October 27 report.
The crash left the pump area burning, with dark smoke rising above the station’s roof. A photo shared on Reddit showed just how much smoke had filled the air.
Nearby residents quickly joined the discussion. One person said the fire explained the traffic on Third Street, while another recalled the awful smell.
For two people who claimed to be working at the Speedway, the fire was far more than something to watch from across the road.
One Reddit user said they and a coworker had to run for their lives. The same person later thanked the Bloomington Fire Department for arriving quickly, but had harsh words about the training they received.
Where’s The Shutoff?
Gas stations have emergency shutoff controls that stop fuel pumps during a fire or another dangerous event. Workers need to know where those controls are so they can act quickly.
According to one Reddit commenter who said they were listening to a police and fire scanner, the workers and firefighters had trouble finding the shutoff at Speedway East.
That person claimed firefighters managed to put out the flames before the fuel system was shut down. Another commenter, who identified themselves as an employee, backed up the concern about training.
They said no one showed them where the shutoff was during training.
These claims have not been confirmed in a fire department report. Still, they led other Reddit users to share their own experiences with gas station safety.
One former Speedway worker said the shutoff was usually near the front doors or on a post holding up the roof above the pumps. Others recalled seeing controls inside stations, close to where employees worked.
Knowing where to look could save time when something goes wrong.
Fire Sale Jokes
While workers discussed the danger, some people in the Reddit thread couldn’t resist making jokes about the burning pump.
One commenter wondered if gas prices had gotten too hot, and another called it a fire sale.
Others focused on what caused the flames. One person blamed poor pump upkeep, but a commenter who claimed to work at the station replied that someone had driven into it.
The fire department later clarified that part of the story. A vehicle had backed into the pump, starting the fire that sent workers running.
One witness said firefighters put it out quickly, thankfully. The employee who described fleeing the station also thanked the Bloomington Fire Department for its quick response.