No smoke without fire: Woman lights Israel petrol pump

A cigarette-begging woman at an Israeli petrol station was so inflamed by a man's refusal that she ignited the fuel at his petrol pump, police said on Wednesday.

A woman at an Israeli petrol station was so inflamed by a man's refusal to give her a cigarette that she ignited the fuel at his petrol pump, police said on Wednesday.

Police released a link to video of Tuesday's incident in Jerusalem, showing the woman flick a lighter at the fumes from the petrol hose as it sat in the car's tank, and then run off as a sheet of flame erupted.

The motorist is seen yanking the hose from the tank, and police said forecourt staff were able to extinguish the flames before anyone was hurt.

The Telegraph newspaper quoted police spokesman Mickey Rosenfield as saying on Wednesday that the woman had later been arrested.

"A woman approached a man while filling his petrol tank and asked for a cigarette, when he refused to give it to her she pulled out a lighter from her pocket and ignited the petrol pump."

According to the newspaper, the car owner reacted quickly by pulling the pump that was on fire from his tank and fleeing. Petrol station workers extinguished the fire," Rosenfeld said in a written statement.

"The woman was arrested shortly after the incident and in her investigation she denied the incident," the statement said.

(With inputs from AFP)