[gordner]

Ignition does not take a spark, just heat. That is the fire triangle, heat oxygen and fuel.

I talked to a representative of Esso Aviation fuels once regarding pump fires, and he provided many examples of aircraft lost during fueling due to use of radios or other electronic devices. Normally it is a contact arc or the like that causes the ignition, but he was pretty convinced that in the right situation a cell could start a fire while fueling.

Seems like it is just easier to avoid fuel vapour and smoking/electronic devices. He did however state that the leading cause of fuel pump fires for automotive is getting in and out of the vehicle, and that typically women are more than twice as likely to cause a fuel pump fire. As they apparently more commonly go in and out of the vehicle while fueling.