Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Tonya Papanikolas Reporting"You'll have a lot of helpful citizens come up and put themselves in harm's way. They're standing in a very toxic plume of smoke, trying to do some good. And the reality is, a car can be replaced, a human can't."
Car fires may not seem very common, but according to some new AAA research, they are both common and deadly. AAA says nationally highway vehicle fires account for 17 percent of all fires and 13 percent of all civilian fire deaths. In fact, last year they caused more deaths than apartment fires.
A lot of times these car fires can be prevented with regular maintenance on your car. That's because two-thirds of the fires result from mechanical or electrical malfunctions.
Captain Jeff Gray, Unified Fire Authority: "Typically what we find on most of these car fires is it's electrical in nature."
In 2004 fire departments across the U.S. responded to more than 260-thousand car fires along the highway. They claimed 520 lives.
Cpt. Gray: "If the people make it out of the vehicle, their chances are very good for survival. Typically in the engine department, you've got a few minutes to get out of there."
Just this Sunday a man in California was caught in a vehicle fire after he was involved in a crash. Officers and bystanders had to work fast to pull him to safety.
This afternoon the Unified Fire Authority demonstrated just how quickly the flames spread within a car. They lit a flare in the engine and one inside this car. Within two minutes, the hood was on fire. Within four, the inside was turning orange. In just five and a half minutes, the car was completely engulfed.
Cpt. Gray: "It's very high heat, just everything associated with oil when it burns is very toxic."
Trooper Jeff Nigbur, Utah Highway Patrol: "Think about what's in the vehicle, you've got gasoline, oil, all kinds of flammable fluids, and obviously plastic burns really good in hot conditions."
In last year's Utah case, the car started blowing out windows within a few minutes. The same thing that happened with our demonstration.
If you do have a car fire, pull over, turn off your ignition and put on your emergency brake. Keep the hood closed because extra oxygen makes the fire larger. Move at least 100 feet away. Of course, call 911, and don't attempt to fight the fire yourself.
To prevent car fires from happening:
- Have your car inspected annually by professional technicians.
- Watch for fluid leaks, cracked hoses and wiring that's loose or has exposed metal.
- Be alert to changes in the way your car sounds.
- Be aware of a loud exhaust tone, smoke from the tailpipe, or backfiring exhaust.
