Field Assessment
The petrol can is not a weapon in the conventional sense. It is a setup tool. Pour the trail, ignite the starting point, move to a safe distance. The fire does the rest along the path the pour created.
The directional control is the element that differentiates it from the molotov. A molotov is thrown and spreads from impact. The petrol can pours a trail with a defined shape: along a corridor, around a vehicle, across a doorway threshold. The fire follows that shape.
The practical limitation is time. Pouring a meaningful trail takes seconds that require the operator to be in a vulnerable position. In an active firefight it is not a viable option. As a setup before the confrontation begins, or during a period of control over the environment, it is decisive and low-cost.