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Truck mysteriously sets itself on fire
Eyewitness 5 News ^ | June 15, 2005 | Staff Writer

Posted on 06/15/2005 1:40:42 PM PDT by Millee

Security cameras capture a lot of strange things, but a security camera at a Buffalo car wash caught something that’s almost spooky.

A truck sits in the shop with the engine off. Suddenly, in the middle of the night, it bursts into flames.

And if that's not weird enough, just before the fire appears the lights turn on for a while and then flicker.

The videotape shows exactly how the fire started. A 1998 Chevy K-1500 pickup, freshly detailed, just sits in the shop, with no one around.

At 10:48 p.m. the headlights turn on, 26 minutes later, they shut off.

A minute after that, they flicker, and turn on again.

And that's when you start to see a glow inside the cab near the driver's door.

The fire grows more intense, and eventually the windshield explodes.

The video ends when the heat melts the camera right off the wall.

Shop owner Randy Ernesti doesn't believe anything his crew did caused the fire.

"They didn't do anything different to clean the vehicle or anything like that," Ernesti said.

So we checked with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Owners of other Chevy K-1500s reported fires starting in the driver's side door. Investigators traced the problem to wiring for the power mirror and ordered a recall.

But when we checked with General Motors, they told us this specific truck was not part of the mirror recall.

Certain Ford trucks were also recalled for bursting into flames, even with the engines off.

Ford traced that problem to a faulty cruise control switch and recalled 800,000 vehicles.

But again, no link to the type of fire that consumed Randy Ernesti's vehicle.

"It's just one of those acts I guess that just happen and luckily nobody was hurt and that's what we're grateful for," Ernesti said.

While two insurance companies and GM try to find the cause, Randy Ernesti had to take out a loan to repair his business. He hopes when the cause is found, he'll get that money back.

The mysterious fire caused Ernesti to add one new procedure at his shop: Whenever a vehicle is parked inside overnight, employees disconnect the battery.


TOPICS: Local News
KEYWORDS: hatewhenthathappens; peugeot
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1 posted on 06/15/2005 1:40:42 PM PDT by Millee
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To: Millee

Christine's brother?


2 posted on 06/15/2005 1:41:36 PM PDT by snarks_when_bored
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To: Millee

Bush's fault.


3 posted on 06/15/2005 1:42:37 PM PDT by Brilliant
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To: Millee

Blimey. And the big US carmakers wonder why they have problems.

Regards, Ivan


4 posted on 06/15/2005 1:42:41 PM PDT by MadIvan (You underestimate the power of the Dark Side - http://www.sithorder.com/)
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To: Millee

This is a funny article, but do you have any conservative politcal articles you'd like to post now that you've joined FR?


5 posted on 06/15/2005 1:43:03 PM PDT by xJones
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To: Millee

Gremlins. The WW2 variety, that is.


6 posted on 06/15/2005 1:43:58 PM PDT by ahayes
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To: Millee

Sounds like Herby's cousin was protesting the new movie by setting himself on fire.


7 posted on 06/15/2005 1:44:28 PM PDT by Zeppelin (Keep on FReepin' on.....)
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To: Millee
I thought that only SUV's were alive and responsible for their activities. This is just a plain old pick-up.
8 posted on 06/15/2005 1:44:34 PM PDT by Sthitch
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To: Millee

"The mysterious fire caused Ernesti to add one new procedure at his shop: Whenever a vehicle is parked inside overnight, employees disconnect the battery."

Give me a break. There is a freak incident like this and they think it's going to happen twice?


9 posted on 06/15/2005 1:44:52 PM PDT by Brilliant
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To: Millee

No surprise here. Guns shoot all by themselves all the time. Inanimate objects do this you know.


10 posted on 06/15/2005 1:45:09 PM PDT by beltfed308 (Cloth or link. Happiness is a perfect trunion.)
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To: Millee

We have spontaneous human combustion; why not spontaneous auto combustion?


11 posted on 06/15/2005 1:45:33 PM PDT by colorado tanker (The People Have Spoken)
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To: xJones

The car was previously owned by Howard Dean :)


12 posted on 06/15/2005 1:45:44 PM PDT by blueblazes
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To: Millee

Where's Dateline NBC....

....planting more explosive devices on GM trucks.


13 posted on 06/15/2005 1:46:03 PM PDT by fhlh (.)
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To: Millee
At 10:48 p.m. the headlights turn on, 26 minutes later, they shut off. A minute after that, they flicker, and turn on again.

Just guessing, but a short in the headlight control switch comes to mind.

14 posted on 06/15/2005 1:46:10 PM PDT by ElkGroveDan (I'm sick and tired of being sicked and tired!)
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To: Millee
Spontaneous Internal Combustion
15 posted on 06/15/2005 1:46:25 PM PDT by RckyRaCoCo ("When you have to shoot, shoot, don't talk!")
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To: Millee
There have been a lot of fires reported by owners of Ford trucks/SUV's recently. Something about the cruise control mechanism that over heats and causes a fire near a fuel line. Apparently has caused several house fires, when the vehicles were garaged. Local mechanic was talking about it the other day.

Anyone else heard about this situation?
16 posted on 06/15/2005 1:46:58 PM PDT by Mr. Jazzy (Bumper sticker "Martyrs or Marines: Who do YOU think will get the virgins?")
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To: Sthitch

Pick up Suicide


17 posted on 06/15/2005 1:47:34 PM PDT by Fiddle E. Dee (There is no substitute for competence.)
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To: Millee

I know my short term memory loss is bad but didnt I see this on the Twilight Zone many years ago??


Cudda been any number of shows but it aint new :-)


:-)


18 posted on 06/15/2005 1:47:43 PM PDT by halfright (9/11 3,000 Americans MURDERED...close the borders!...Semper Fi!)
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To: Mr. Jazzy

big recall going on for this.

Ford's fix is to disconnect the Cruise Control,

Quality, Job 4,023,423,654


19 posted on 06/15/2005 1:48:28 PM PDT by fhlh (.)
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To: Mr. Jazzy
Yeah, I read about that in this article:

FR Thread

Ford traced that problem to a faulty cruise control switch and recalled 800,000 vehicles.

20 posted on 06/15/2005 1:49:28 PM PDT by whd23
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