"Gasoline was poured on the clothing of the examiner, Katherine Smith,before she burned to death on Sunday in an automobile accident" Sorry but the beginning of this made me spit cola out of my nose..
An accident? Huh, I always try driving with gasoline soaked clothes!
Several years ago I was an arson investigator and fire in a vehicle doesn't go from the engine area to the passenger area unless it is helped somehow. There are very few exceptions. There is a firewall between the engine compartment and the passenger area that keeps fire away from the passenger area.
An accident where the front of a car hits a tree and catches fire would normally burn only the engine compartment.
Hint..If both areas are burned for some reason it wasn't an accident !