Snow can definitely make your mornings a little more annoying since you have to shovel it out of the way almost everyday. You may be thinking that a snow shovel is the best way to get snow off your property. However, there’s actually more than one way to clear your driveway from piles of snow. Of course, there’s snow plows, snow blowers, and good old fashioned salt. For this man in Ashland, Kentucky, a flamethrower is the best possible tool that you could use.
Read: SNL Hilariously Nails What Christmas Morning is Like for Moms and it’s Painfully Accurate.
Flamethrower Meet Icy Driveway
Timothy Browning walked outside in his bathrobe, a helmet, a beer in his hand, and a flamethrower in the other. This was not going to be like any other ordinary day for his driveway. Let alone the entire neighborhood that watched in awe from a safe distance. The war against snow was official after flames poured from the nozzle onto the icy cement. Chugging his beer all the while blasting his driveway with flames that easily melted everything in mere seconds.
“I thought it’d be funny for a video and wanted to clear off the under layer of ice on the driveway.” Explains Browning after Reuters asked him about the video he made. (1)
It wouldn’t surprise us if there were other Kentucky residents that share his sentiment. The ice layer can get so thick on your driveway sometimes that salt or anything else simply won’t do the job. In addition, Browning had the flames in a controlled setting with nothing flammable around him. Aside from his neighbor, Jordan Podunavac. Podunavac said that he immediately started recording Browning upon seeing the flamethrower. Giving us one of the funniest ways a person could get rid of ice and snow from their house.
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How Thick Is The Ice In Kentucky?
Kentucky has had a few snow storms that have left them completely buried in ice. In January 2009, what started out as light precipitation turned into a massive snow storm in the more northern parts of Kentucky. At first it was ice, then turned to sleet, and then snow by morning. Leaving everything in a glass-like state with how much ice and snow that built up over night. However, this lasted all day into the next day as well. Covering everything else in frost and snow as it continued to move south. By now the entirety of Kentucky is completely frozen over. (2)
Additionally, the storm was so strong that it lasted for yet another day. Starting on January 26th and then ending on January 28th. Everyday that Kentucky experienced the storm, more and more ice layered on top of itself. Making it seemingly impossible to do anything at all in town or in your own house. People were trapped, needed immediate attention, and other emergency services. Freezing rain is certainly no laughing matter. So for people in Kentucky seeing someone use a flamethrower on their lawn it’s not as crazy as one might think. (2)
This storm is on record for creating the most massive power outage ever. More than 609,000 homes and businesses were reported without power throughout the entire state of Kentucky. Not to mention the amount of property damage that was from large trees unable to hold the weight of all the ice and snow. Making large limbs break off and destroy people’s homes and possessions. The state took about ten days to officially get everyone hooked back up with some power. (2)
The War On Ice
If you’ve ever experienced freezing rain to this capacity, then you might be all too familiar with how damaging it can be. If you had about 2 inches of solid ice on your driveway, you might have to exact same reaction as Browning. Get out your flamethrower and get to work. Because the longer you let the ice sit there, the more damage is going to be done to the things you love. Also, you don’t want to slip and hurt yourself trying to get into your car. That’s an extra bill added to the property damage you’re going to have to pay off.
Keep reading: 3-Ingredient Ice Melt That You Can Make At Home
References
- “Watch this Kentucky man uses a flamethrower to clear snow off his driveway.” CTV News. Denio Lourenco. December 27, 2020.
- “Ice and Snow Storm of January 26-28, 2009.” National Weather Service
