Did you hear about the Stanley cup that survived a full-blown car fire? Yes, a car on fire. An actual tumbler from Stanley was in a car fire, and its interior was perfectly fine. Not just that, but Stanley even offered to help the woman who experienced the disaster.
So, what happened and why? Here’s what you need to know about the Stanley cup car fire, how the now-viral Stanley tumbler survived the incident, and how the company is bringing a little bit of aid to the woman who experienced the tragedy in the first place. It’s a feel-good story, and Stanley’s response to it was also a brilliant PR move on the 110-year-old company’s part. Not only did they get to do some good, but millions of people saw the message that Stanley cups can endure in unlikely environments.
What happened in the Stanley cup car fire?
In November 2023, TikTok user Danielle Lettering posted a video depicting the aftermath of a car fire. Inside, a Stanley tumbler was in the cupholder, covered in debris. Lettering says the enormous tumbler “was in a fire yesterday and still has ice in it.” She then rattles the cup, which seemingly makes an ice clinking sound, suggesting the liquid inside is still perfectly cold.
“Imma need Stanley to start making cars,” one TikTok commenter responded. “Some next level stuff. Straw didn’t even melt,” another said.
According to ABC7, Stanley’s global president Terence Reilly saw the video and stressed the company would send Lettering some Stanley cups — and so much more. “[W]e’ve never done this before and we’ll probably never do it again, but we’d love to replace your vehicle,” he said. “Yeah, all of us at Stanley, we’d really like to replace your vehicle.”
Danielle, for the record, was quickly impressed by Stanley’s response, as well as the video’s viral reception. “I almost passed out,” she said in a follow-up post. “That is crazy. I cannot believe they’re going to buy me a car! I mean, the Stanley was the only thing that survived the car fire. I’m not drinking out of it, don’t worry guys. It’s in the garage. I’m going to save it as a memento.”
Can a Stanley cup survive a fire?
Lettering’s TikTok is pretty cool, right? But did her cup actually survive a car fire? Are Stanley tumblers likely to persevere if your car suddenly combusts? Online creators have since debunked the claim, looking to prove whether a Stanley cup could actually last through a real disaster.
Foodie TikTok influencer Daniel Gerstel dumped a Stanley cup directly into a fire, complete with ice and mint chocolate chip ice cream inside. The plastic lid quickly melted, exposing the interior to scorching heat. Which, yes, completely melted. So at first blush, one would assume the Stanley car fire story isn’t necessarily true: If your Stanley cup is in a fire, the straw and lid are literally going to melt right off.
So, is the viral TikTok fake?
Well, car fires are complicated things. The Stanley cup in question might have been exposed to fire without necessarily losing its top. If so, then it’s theoretically possible that the Stanley tumbler would still maintain its internal temperature inside, depending on where the fire happened, how much heat reached the Stanley cup, and if the fire was put out before the tumbler’s plastic top experienced extensive damage.
In other words, two things can be true: Your Stanley cup isn’t built to withstand heat in the middle of a fire, but if your tumbler is at the right distance, it may still survive a brush-up with a car fire.
YouTuber Fire Steve came to this conclusion in his own breakdown of the viral TikTok. Given the creator is a firefighter with an extensive background in handling exact car fires like Lettering’s, he analyzed her video, revealing that the car fire likely exposed some of the Stanley cup to intense heat without outright melting off its plastic lid — the straw is significantly bent, for example, and the color on the cup changed due to heat exposure. He infers that the fire likely happened due to a dashboard or engine compartment fire, and was later put out by firefighters. This claim is reinforced by the debris on the cup, a clear sign that Lettering’s cup was in the car during a fire, the YouTuber said.
This means that the Stanley cup might have been at a safe enough distance within a (later extinguished) car fire for the cup to experience minimal damage. And because the plastic lid did not melt clean off, the metal interior remained unpenetrated, theoretically maintaining the temperature inside.
“We don’t know where this vehicle fire occurred. Now the thing is, it could be a colder climate. Have ice in the mug, vehicle fire happens,” Fire Steve said. “During that flash fire, you’re going to have insulating properties in the mug — especially because it wasn’t compromised in any way, shape, or form. And then after the fire’s been extinguished, obviously it’s open, exposed to open air. So if it’s in a colder climate, let’s say around 0 degrees Celsius, very likely that that ice could stay chilled in that cup, exposed to the open air.”
If your Stanley cup gets dumped directly into a fire, however, you might not want to touch the cup. Especially if the plastic lid begins to melt. Even if the liquid is fine inside, the last thing you want is an extra bit of plastic in your still-iced latte.
(feature image: Stanley)
