Car-B-Q

[Orv]

I remember BNSF sent a bulletin around to all their signal maintainers about a company truck that burned down. The driver had parked it in tall grass after a long drive, and the residual heat from the catalytic converter started a brush fire.

A typical converter doesn't "light off" until around 500 degrees F, operates at 800 - 1,300 degrees when everything is going well, and can reach 2,000 degrees if the engine is misfiring.

[arctictraveller]

Originally Posted by larrie

rltilley makes another good point about debris getting caught under the van. Grass and sagebrush can easily get caught on the underside of the frame. If it is next to the exhaust system it can catch fire. Be sure to check under your rigs after you park.

With all the tall,dry grass around, that's really good advice.

[JWA]

When first viewing this video I couldn't help wondering how one of the Element fire extinguishers might have worked in a similar situation. I would assume (dangerous I know) since its gas is heavier-than-air it might have worked very, very well.

Perhaps I'll contact Rob from Element and see if he'd weigh in about this. Since a few of us are now equipped with those their effectiveness on such an instance will be interesting.

Also FWIW when catalytic converters first appeared on cars they were thought to be instant fire hazards since they operate at such high temperatures. Naturally manufacturers told the general public to NOT park in areas with tall dry grasses with the engine running or soon after driving. Wow--that was back before everything had its own warning label.

[daveb]

Besides the obvious fire extinguisher ideas, the video makes me want to re-think about having a basic bug out bag that would be the first thing you grab.

[TomsBeast]

From the looks of it, heat source being at the firewall, this vehicle fire has the look of an electrical fire, that started either deep under the dash or where the wiring harness passes through the firewall. There are several non-fused power wires on every vehicle. But that's nothing more than an educated guess on my part. Once the dash plastic and headliner goes up in flames, it's 'game over'. Gathering your stuff and getting it away from the fire is, at that juncture, the right thing to do.

In hindsight, which is always 20/10, the only other thing he could/should have tried early on, is to remove the ground cable from the battery.

So far as videography goes, the LAST thing I personally would have done, is set up my camera and film my Jeep's firey demise. but then, I'm not a blogger

[mikracer]

Originally Posted by TomsBeast

In hindsight, which is always 20/10, the only other thing he could/should have tried early on, is to remove the ground cable from the battery.

I suspected the same as you but my thoughts were to disconnect the positive side of the battery.

NHRA requires you to have an exterior battery cutoff switch when trunk mounting your battery. I was thinking a battery cutoff accessible from the outside of the van might be a good idea in case something like this happens. Thoughts?

[86Scotty]

Excellent idea Jin. Also, keep the marshmallows right by one of the doors.

It really is a good idea. I just can't help but poke at this guy I guess. I'm trying to be nice.

Wait, seriously, this is a good idea. A battery cutoff hidden under the bumper of the van somewhere, in addition to other security measures. It would be great for added security and certainly great for this kind of situation. Inside the winch door on an Aluminess would be perfect. Easy to get to but most people (with ill intent) wouldn't think to look there.

[Orv]

Originally Posted by 86Scotty

A battery cutoff hidden under the bumper of the van somewhere, in addition to other security measures.

Disconnects are required on most race vehicles, for pretty much the same fire prevention reasons. If you want to go that route you can get them cheaply from racing suppliers like Jegs. You can get ones with a removable key, which might be a nice theft deterrent during long term storage.

[MadScience]

To conjecture about the actual fire:

If this was a 2010, there was a recall for a skid plate that was known to be able to trap debris against a cat. If that was the case, the fire could have been super hot quickly and the progression to catching the interior on fire seems very likely.

But that's really just another guess.

Also on my list of things to keep handy is some way to restrain the dog outside of and away from the vehicle.

[JWA]

Originally Posted by JWA

Perhaps I'll contact Rob from Element and see if he'd weigh in about this. Since a few of us are now equipped with those their effectiveness on such an instance will be interesting.

I did contact Rob Carlisi from Element and he's agreed to view the video and reply here with a few thoughts we might all find useful. I look forward to his thoughts on this and how an Element extinguisher might have been useful.