I carried my zippo in my front pocket and got my pants soaked. Not long after I felt an itch on my thigh. Then it got worse and started to feel like a burn.
Eventually I removed my pants to find a bright red burn on my thigh. The water displaced the fluid in the zippo and it seeped out onto my leg.
Yes, I have had that happen once or twice. Usually in the summer.
It even warns you on the container about skin contact.
Lighter Fluid is Naptha with Benzene, and you can become sensitized to it.
Naptha is the same thing as Coleman camp fuel. I use naptha in a couple of my camping stoves. When camping out I normally have one of those stoves with me and the fuel, so fuel for the Zippo is present anyhow.
Benzene is a known carcinogen, that should not surprise anybody, right(?).
http://pages.slc.edu/~aschultz/chemical_hygiene/MSDS/theater%20msds/LIGHTER%20FLUID.PDF
I try not to overfill the lighter and carry it upright in either my jeans watch pocket or my overalls watch pocket.
That at least put a few layers of thicker clothing between me and it. When camping it can ride either in my pocket or the pack.
I sometimes worked in refineries and they don't allow bic lighters because they have had people light themselves up with them.
It is kind of hard to explain that, but they were by accidents and not deliberate.
The problem is the Bic can have the valve pressed down when in a pocket and fill up a pair of coveralls with butane.
One spark and it is "Poof!" a crispy welder!
You use a sparker, wooden safety matches or Zippo style lighters inside the refinery, if you need to carry something to light stuff with.
Only sparkers are allowed for lighting cutting torches, no lighters.
The fact the bic can have the valve pressed by accident is why I don't like them lying around loose or in a pack.
I have had too many brand new empty bicks when backpacking.
There are plenty of good refillable and disposable butane lighters that don't have this problem.