First, it does not explode, it *bursts*. The difference is:
*Explosion is when the substance reacts in a chemical way, but the substance can't make the (thermal) energy go away fast enough.
*Bursting is when in a completely physical way the pressure in a canister gets too high (possibly, but not existentially, by heating it for a very long time).
Gas cans *do* *no* *explode*. Gas cans *burst*. The result is spraying gas, which usually causes (as you mentioned) a fiercely looking fireball which also has a pressure component, which then can be called an explosion, but the power is far less than any explosion by a bomb. Additionally an explosion normally puts its energy into the blast, where a spraying gas fireball usually puts lots of the energy into the fire.
Now back to the original plot: Gas tanks and fuel canisters can not explode. The reasons are stated. Fuel canisters in a car *do* not explode under any circumstances, especially not if you set them on fire beforehand. Fuel burning (ordinary fuel) does not get hot enough to cause gas tanks to burst, especially not if you park your car in a way which at once alerts everyone and where the fire department is on the spot about two minutes after (yes, airports have special fire departments). |
