Closets are for storage. Right? You gotta store gasoline (red square) SOMEplace. Right? Never mind that it's just a few feet away from an open flame (yellow circle). Never mind that fumes crawl along the ground. Never mind.....

Actually, gas wasn't the only hazardous material in the room. There was also an old battery. It wasn't clear who put all this stuff there, but the closet was wide open to the public. The moral of this story? Keep water heater closets locked. And teach maintenance people that they can't store just anything there.