Guest at Residence Inn in Covington Caught Storing Gasoline in Hotel Room

St. Tammany Firefighters responded to a situation at the Residence Inn hotel in Covington, La. on Thursday after guests reported the smell of gasoline inside the hotel. A hotel guest was storing cans of gasoline in their hotel room.

A cyber attack on Colonial Pipeline is causing a gasoline shortage on the East Coast of the United States. The ransomware attack is also causing the price of gas to skyrocket along the East Coast. In some locations, gas is almost $8 per gallon and rising. This has many travelers nervous.

As was the case with one guest at the Residence Inn in Covington. St. Tammany Fire District #12 said in a social media post, "a guest was storing 2 gas cans in their room". The post also asked people to make sure and store gasoline properly.

WE URGE EVERYONE TO PRACTICE SAFETY WHEN STORING GASOLINE! PLEASE DO NOT STORE GAS INSIDE. GAS MUST BE STORED IN A WELL-VENTILATED AREA AND IN PROPER CONTAINERS.-St. Tammany Fire District #12

Georgia-based Colonial Pipeline is reporting that the gas is flowing again but it will take a few days for everything to get back to normal on the East Coast.

Experts say the best way to store gasoline is in a well-ventilated space away from your home. Be sure there is no electrical equipment is in the storage area (even if the electrical equipment is turned off or unplugged). Never store containers of gas near an open flame or any source of ignition. The storage space or shed should be protected from direct sunlight and/or heat as well.