Posted on 06/01/2024 4:43:45 PM PDT by Signalman
Flames from an electric vehicle that caught fire overnight damaged some power lines and scorched a home in the Granada Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles.
The fire was reported around 2 a.m. on Rinaldi Street near Haskell Avenue.
Firefighters found flames engulfing a Mercedez-Benz, which proved to be difficult to put out.
The electrical nature of the fire made it so intense that firefighters requested additional resources, Stringer News Service KNN reported.
Flames from the burning vehicle spread to a nearby home and burned some power lines in the area. It was unclear if power was affected at any of the residences.
The cause of the fire was unknown but what appeared to be a charging chord or possibly a power line was seen draped across the front of the vehicle as it was burning.
There was no word on whether the car was charging at the time of the fire.
(photos at link)
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
Was it a major chord or a minor chord? I'd wager it was a minor chord because it sounds sad and somewhat dark.
Actually, gasoline-powered cars burst into flames quite often, shockingly so. There’s a government website but can’t remember the name (NTSB?), where you put in the make and model and all the reports are right there. I was doing research on a case at my office where a Nissan Kicks burst into flames and started looking at other cars bursting into flames. One report that I remember clearly was someone’s car parked in their driveway, not driven for 3 days, and the guy wakes up at night and it’s on fire. Turned out it had something to do with a tiny electrical problem with the clock. But all sorts of gas-powered cars occasionally burst into flames. I spent quite a bit of time looking around that website and was supprised to find Mercedes Benzes, Toyotas, didn’t matter how inexpensive or expensive the car was, once in a while, one will catch fire. (My car was also on there, creeped me out.)
Was it a major chord or a minor chord? I’d wager it was a minor chord because it sounds sad and somewhat dark.
But you don’t really care for music, do you?
Funny you should tell that story because, in fact, my neighborhood was a Little Italy. So, when I saw that car explode, my first thought was that it was a hit. But, the car was empty, and the local paper didn’t mention the explosion. I might’ve been the only person who witnessed the moment that car exploded, and no one I knew even heard about it, except from me. Maybe what happened to that Cadillac in 1977 is what happened to this car. Anyway, that was the only time I saw a gas-powered car burst into flames spontaneously, but we sure are hearing many stories about EVs catching fire now.
:-) No one else even seemed to know about it. Luckily, the car was empty. Just one of those strange things you witness and never forget.
Yep. I’ve seen places where larger cities basically have a large dumpster style container they fill with water and just dump the cars in it after the normal parts, like seats, etc. have burned and let them sit submerged for like a week.
“One day, about 35 years ago, as I was walking down an empty street in my neighborhood, a car parked at the end of the block suddenly exploded into flames. No exaggeration. But, how often does that happen to a gas-powered car?”
Maybe Uncle Guido knows?
I’ve seen 2 in my 64 years.
Maybe so, but I’ll never know...
So then, it isn’t so unusual...
FoMoCo vehicles built in the early to mid nineties did frequently in the early part of this century.
Leaking brake pressure switches dripping brake fluid on a wire harness connector caused fires.
Vehicle owners sent recall notices for immediate action and to not park recalled vehicles inside a structure.
Solution to fix the problem?
Move the harness connector over a few inches so brake fluid does not drip on it and tag the harness with a blue tag to note it had been moved by a FoMoCo dealer.
*The brake pressure switches still leaked brake fluid.
My next door neighbor has a Tesla that he charges in his garage. Makes me nervous.................
The MESSAGE that one sends by owning an EV is FAR MORE IMPORTANT than whether it burns the neighbor’s house down.
I’d like to know the cause, my guess is that in IC cars it’s an electrical short that ignites plastics, etc. Both I saw had been parked for several hours when it happened.
Gasoline fire: 1,500 degrees, usually goes out by itself before emergency vehicles arrive. Once out, it’s out.
EV battery fire: 4,500 degrees, much worse chemicals released for much longer and you know the rest.
#7 a car parked at the end of the block suddenly exploded into flames.
Was it a mob hit?.... : )
Maybe. Or maybe a gas leak, as post 16 describes? I’m amazed you saw it happen twice.
The car was empty, but I’ve long wondered about it. :-o Now, based on some other posts, I’m guessing it exploded on its own. Scary...
The car was empty, but I’ve long wondered about it. :-o Now, based on some other posts, I’m guessing it exploded on its own. Scary...
The rare ICE car fire does not generally total the entire car and threaten other autos & structures nearby. And it can be extinguished.
In my 70+ years I have never seen an actual ICE car fire, large or small. I have, rarely, seen a smoking electrical harness or some such.
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