Car on fire...what do you think you should do?

[bslee]

I think its wise to invest in a small fire extinguisher in the car and learn how to use it. Its perhaps a common mindset owners regard this as un-necessary or a blardi waste of money.
I keep one in the kitchen and have trained my family on using one..
I believe faulty or deteriorated electrical wiring inside a car is a likely cause of fires. Sometimes I see those car accessory shop rambos how haphazardly do wiring..downright risky!.

[kress]

Perhaps most of them have watch too much of movies that give the impression that it will blast into a fireball in a matter of seconds.

Then on the onset of smoke to perhaps licking flames , how much time is available to just get something to douse it. Or when is the danger sign to backoff. Firefly n kress will flee n hide in the longkang at the sight of a birthday candle in the bonnet already..

wei.. you haven't seen the pics of kenari and gen2 electrical problems have you? if i'm not mistaken, a fire engulfed the car in minutes only... after 20 mins only the shell remained. If it's insured let it burn leh... no need to play with your life by becoming rambo.

[ghj]

I believe that most of you own or drive a car. Also believe that you have seen a burnt out wreck once in a while. Or you may have notice someone's car or even your own that belch out smoke from the bonnet , inside the car , boot n other places.

What is your first reaction to this scenario?

RUN FOR MY LIFE and NOT to be a *Curious Cat*

[Wild_Explorer]

If this situation were to happen in your dream bungalow house porch. You have resources nearby that if you have known how or when to use n how long before heading to the longkang, would you still flee.. and let the candle do it's job instead of saving the disaster.? By the time bomba arrive ,can say goodbye liao....

CCY, to me nothing is more precious than life itself and if it happens, the first priority would be the family in the house, then call BOMBA and then you would do what you can to control the fire from spreading.

If it is in the car porch, at least resources would be available to try to counter the fire...like home fire extinguisher or even the garden hose.

If it happens to the car while you are driving, resources are limited and how many actually carry a portable fire extinguisher in the car. I, for one, don't carry one, so I choose to flee with me and my family lifes.

I am saying this becuz I have seen it happen across my office. The car was smoking from the bonnet and the guy just stop and pop open the bonnet. The fire flare up and engulf the car within a short period of time. There were a couple of taxis driver that stop and try to help with their portable fire extinguisher. All three empty their extinguisher to no avail and the fire was only put out by the bomba which I agreed, arrive too late.

At least the guy got away with his life to be able to claim insurance on another day. No property no matter how valuable is worth your life unless you are risking it to save some other life like your own child or family trap in a fire.

Goodbye liao to my dream bungalow also never mind as I live to build or buy another better dream bungalow.

[orchipalar]

Err...here is Orchi's 2 kupangs...

1. IF the smoke is visible within the car interior...it is likely caused by faulty electrical wiring...if the car is in motion...immediately switch off the ignition key(get the car to stop first if on the road as safely n quickly as possible)...

Pop open the engine hood/bonnet...feel the bonnet to see if it is hot or not...if not then lift up the bonnet...get access to a pair of plier n a screwdriver(always keep one with insulated handle handy under the floor mat at the driver side) n try to unscrew n pull out any one of the battery cable/terminal which is on top of the car battery(in case you know where it is...in some cars the battery is in the back car boot...

Ahem...normally without the supply of current...the burning/melting cables would subside...

Err...then call for help from an auto electrician to fix it on the spot if it is only a small problem...or get help to tow it back to the workshop...

2. IF the smoke is visible from outside of the engine compartment...immediately stop the car at the safest place(assuming it's travelling)...switch off the ignition key...n POP the open the engine hood/bonnet...feel the bonnet to see if it is hot or not...if not then lift up the bonnet to see if there is any sparking or burning cables...if so do as step 1. above to disconnect one of the battery cables...n get access to a fire extinguisher(sp?)...sand(Chang's method)...or water...to put the burning out...

Ahem...then get help to tow the car back to the workshop...

3. IF you see the part of the engine is one fire or when you can't see the part where it is burning(due to thick smoke)...get access to a fire extinguisher(sp?)...sand...or water...to try put the burning out...

IF OK...tow the car back to workshop...

Normally the smell of smoke from the burning cables are different(stronger)...than the smell of smoke from burning oil or fuel...one should be able to tell...

In most modern cars these days...fuel is fed by electrical pumps located at the rear fuel tank...or in the engine compartment...you can always try to reach the battery first...n disconnect one of the battery cables first...to cut off any possible short circuit of the electrical cables...

IMPORTANT NOTE: Before you open the engine hood with your hands...IF you feel that the bonnet or engine hoot is too hot...???

Ahem...Orchi would suggest that you leave it from there...

[aloy105]

it is always wise to invest in a small fire extingisher for a car n a bigger one for our hse..its like buying ins. to cover yr car n hse, but must also train our family members how to make use of them, no point having them but only us know how to use them
For me if a fire were to occur ,1st will be to get everyone out, n tackle the fire. If only a small fire at home, then its immediately tackle the fire n at the same time alert all at home

[cskok8]

It is not a good idea to pee or pour water on an electric or petrol fire. If no fire extinguisher, better just run away.

[bslee]

better just run away.

I agree most would run..quite typical!..no time to think of 2 kupang..

[expat1609]

Happened to me once ... was driving an old jalopy - Fiat600 (if anyone of you know what it was!). It had a rear engine and I noticed black smoke in my rearview mirror. stopped the car by the side of the road, opened the engine cover and saw flames on the hot engine block's top. A leaky fuel pipe had caused the fire. I wasn't big, just starting and it was the oil that was on fire. what I did was to pick up a handful of sand from the side of the road and chucked it at the fire - fire was knocked out and I drove straight to my mechanic.

Fortunately a presence of mind saved the day and my car! Nowadays, I carry a small fire-extinguisher in the passenger compartment.

if i know what that was, OF COZ, the greatest vehicle on earth, when we where 18 n got our licence. not like today: licence - VW GTI - scratched off a tree saturday nite 2 weeks later

this 600 or even 500 Fiat's must be worth a million nowadays, still around in malaysia ???

[expat1609]

back to the topic:
what i recall from driving school - disconnect the battery - if still possible - is always the first thing to do
don't remember any step 2 - wld run a 100 m (or 200)

[Boink]

Do you think that we should arm ourselves with enough knowledge to save, not only property but maybe lives as well trap in certain situation.
Or you just run away looking for help when car started to smoke in a carpark that will snowballed into towering inferno for not doing that little step to nip the fire.

Yo bro. I think I know now what you mean. Perhaps I am a bit more technical myself, so I guess some smoke and fumes, I would dare try it out on my own.

but seriously, if there is a naked flame, in the car porch what ever, I would let it burn. In the house? find some way of pushing it out into a safer place lo.

Some other peoples car gets torched as well? well sorry lo. Not like set my car on fire on purpose. Thats why one should alwasy get comprehensive and not 3rd party insurance.

really safety first. And if you are NOT trained, then just move aside for someone who knows. Thats more help that you think. IMHO IMHO

[joker2107]

It is not a good idea to pee or pour water on an electric or petrol fire. If no fire extinguisher, better just run away.

cskok8 is right. in a building where power supply is from d mains, water must not b used on electrical fires unless d primary incoming db is confirmed 2 hv been disconnected. but in a vehicle, d small 12v dc electrical system can b tackled with sufficient water, i.e. i won't guarantee such a fire can b extinguished by pouring water out of a pet bottle. a couple of pails full on hand might do d trick if d fire is contained.

fires require 3 elements - fuel, air (or rather d o2 in it) and heat. fuel is that medium which actually burns (like petrol is actually burnt in d engine's combustion chamber). in oil fires, oil is d fuel. (nay, electricity is not fuel!!! d wires, yes.)

oil floats on water. hence if it is poured onto an oil fire, d fire will spread s d oil is distributed over a wider area. water can only put out such a fire if it can suffocate d fire. thats when relative volume is sufficient. if food in your wok is on fire, just simply covering it will kill d fire by limiting and excluding oxygen - just watch em chinese chefs in coffee shops do it.

in a fire under d hood of a car, it is not wise 2 lift d bonnet. theres such a principle called d plunger effect. its d same reason y u must never use a lift in a building on fire. d upward force on d air pressure will draw flames and can even reignite smoulders. also if d car is in motion when d fire is detected, continued fast movement may force sufficient air in under d hood to extinguish flames (but not smoulders). but sudden a stopping motion works like pouring kerosene in2 a flame.

d best bet in a vehicle fire is therefore still a fire extinguisher (unless bomba is miraculously on hand already). for under bonnets fires (there hv been lousy smokers whose four wheels went up in smokes cos they were just that - lousy smokers!)! its best to shoot through d grilles. if theres no fire extinguisher on hand, stop any commercial vehicle - its a legal requirement for commercial so.

note also that cylinder type extinguishers work by pressure. there is every possiblilty that an extinguisher may b full but d extinguishing compounds cannot be drawn out. in commercial complexes, there is a law requiring all fire extinguishers 2 b inspected by fire n rescue svc dept once a year.