It’s smokin’, Pop! ~ Katherine Irwin
My granddaughter, now 21, spoke those words as a precocious toddler when she observed our small-room humidifier doing what humidifiers are known for–spewing clouds of moisture. She may have expected a flame to shoot out next (where there’s smoke …), but no. We’ve all seen fiery, explosive crashes in the movies and on television and we’re told that fire often flares up where there’s smoke. And it does in some circumstances, but today’s post is about cars and drama and hot scenes. Really hot.
So, there could be an explosion, but ...
The likelihood of a car exploding is very low, according to a blog published by Kastl Law, P.C. Conditions that create incendiary excitement do not fall into place accidentally. For a chain reaction to result in a kaboom, the chemistry has to be right, and modern vehicles have safeguards in place to [mostly] prevent these occurrences. Note that I am referring to gasoline-powered vehicles. I have seen the remains of an electric vehicle fire, but that’s a topic for another day.
There are approximately 250 million vehicles in the U.S., excluding heavy trucks, and 99% of them run on gas or diesel. Gitnux 2024 market data report tells us that from 2014-2016 there were approximately 170,000 highway vehicle fires. If you do the math, you’ll see that the average number of fires per vehicle per year is about .2% of the vehicle traffic.
Yes, I know that isn’t precise because the vehicle number is current and the fire number is older. Still. It will be close. And, yes, I understand that while .2% is low compared to the total, it’s huge if you’re one of the few facing injury or property loss. My point is, though, that the number is low. You’re probably not going to see a vehicle fire.
As an aside, most of the sources related to this topic appear to be law firms. Sigh. Another site I referenced collects and crunches data. Count me cynical as mentioned in a prior post, but we find numbers where we can.
But when fire does erupt, this may be the culprit
No, not gas. Gasoline is flammable,* but a more explosive component in your tank is the vapor. Obviously, a full gas tank contains more gas and less capacity for vapor. Mechanical defects (Kastl) can create fires, however:
- Leaks. Make sure your pumps and tanks of whatever variety are in good working condition. Sparks, static electricity and extremely hot surfaces are potentially flaming combos.
- Battery: Again with the systems. Anything that is overheating, lacks ventilation or is corroded can set the stage.
- Electrical systems: Crashes increase the likelihood of a short circuit and those could generate sparks leading to an electrical explosion.
Bottom line, the better you maintain your vehicle, the less chance you have of seeing flames or worse. Of course, a multitude of reasons exist for maintaining all of your assets, mechanical or otherwise, but you don’t need that lecture here.
*Note that scientifically speaking, liquids are not flammable. However, it is common practice to label liquids with low flash points as flammable, and the flash point for gasoline is quite low at -45°. That is a much lower temperature than most U.S. locations will “enjoy.” For reference see Science Direct and UL Solutions websites for additional detail.
What do I take from all that?
Just a reminder. The news, however you digest it, is replete with stories and visuals that defy common sense, and it follows that fiction will push that envelope. We see so much that is absurd that sometimes we can’t even recognize a parody when we see it. Our brains are challenged in the process of sorting the truly outlandish from the simply entertaining.
Those of you who understand combustion engines already knew everything in this post, but topics outside your wheelhouse might just sashay on through as though they’re fully vetted. Don’t fall for it. As an example, my husband, Andy, has pointed out issues with ships and planes in war movies (“they weren’t using those planes” or “those ships” in WWII). There’s that, and I’ve heard more than one ridiculous insurance reference. I won’t put you to sleep with the details, but you know where to find me if you’re curious. I’ll wait.
Let’s move on.
Certainly, I have to suspend reality when watching most movies and television shows, even though some contain realistic depictions. However, I have deemed it unwise to assume too much. If I don’t know something is true, I simply take the production as X number of minutes of entertainment. I have ceased to buy everything the writers are selling, carte blanche, no matter how plausible it all appears.
You?
I learn something interesting every week from you 😊
Thank you for researching and taking the time to share. Plus I have the added benefit of knowing you don’t write fake news.
So glad you enjoy them. As to fake news, I count on a little help from my friends to make sure I don’t inadvertently spread hoaxes. 😉
Not surprisingly, I have had exceptional experiences. As a young adult, I was changing adjustments on an older corvette carb and would tweet it then drive it to see if I was getting more power. During the process and to save time, I left the air cover off. ( which doubles as a spark arrestor)The car backfired through the carb and caught the car of fire and it burned to the ground right in the middle of South Hill Virginia….shut the town down and made front page news. More recently, I lost a 1940 Buick Limo to a fire. I also caught a 1960 Ford on fire by spraying too much either in the carb, again uncovered, trying to get it started. Still, I only buy liability insurance because you are right about the odds. Insurance is a tax on poor people.
In some ways you are still a young adult, and risky behavior skews the odds, so I’d say your stories are outliers. 😉
As a retired cop who spent thirty-three years dodging bullets in Memphis’ streets,
I witnessed a few autos on fire. My takeaway is that when a car burns, it REALLY burns, as in inferno. If you see small flames, you better get out of the way. Tip: If smoke comes from under your hood, whatever you do, don’t open it. You merely feed oxygen to any fire underneath.
Secondly, here is my pet peeve regarding Hollywood: Living in la-la- land allows producers to turn firearms into magic wands that perform miraculous tasks that defy the laws of physics. In the real world those physical laws unmercifully govern what guns can and cannot do. Just ask Alec Baldwin.
I heard of just one car fire when I was working as an insurance agent, and that car burned while sitting out in the middle of nowhere. The adjuster thought it was suspicious and looking back, I guess it was. No clue what caused it unless it was set. Appreciate the heads up on not raising the hood when there’s smoke, but I guarantee you I’d be putting some distance between me and any unexpected smoke or flames. About firearms, I know considerably more about them than I did 6 years ago. TV shows and movies include so much that is ridiculous, I’m surprised I haven’t had to pick my eyeballs up off the floor from rolling them so much. From the impossible shots to the mishandling to using incorrect terms – makes my head hurt, but surely it’s worse for you, considering your experience. Glad you made it through your career in one piece.