[doc] Re: Classic car fire.

["nick12dmc" <Tammyfew@xxxxxxx>]

Citroen's seam quite combustable one of the guys at work had his
L reg Xantia go up in flames. He had washed it at the back of our
factory and left it to dry (engine not running) 1Omin later it
was well alight. We had lots of fire extinguishers but forget
trying to take on a well alight car fire.
The Cause a broken plastic clip that holds the metal bonnet stay.
This stay then droped across the battery terminal....

Regards
Nick H

--- In doc-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Chris Parnham" <secretary@xxxx> wrote:
> I've had an exciting and dangerous afternoon.
> 
> My next door neighbour is into classic cars and has a L reg. 
Citroen SM,
> immaculate 55k miles etc. 
> 
>  At about 2 pm he came rushing round looking for a fire 
extinguisher. I
> gave him two large Halon one's but unfortunately by this time the 
engine
> bay was well alight.
> 
> He is going on holiday tomorrow, and had left the car ticking over
> between his house and garage. It suddenly stopped and billowed 
flames
> and smoke!
> 
> When we had used the 2 extinguishes, to not much effect, I used his
> garden hose to keep the flames away from the rear of the car (and 
nearly
> full fuel tank)!  Be had to battle with choking fumes as the 
suspension
> oil burnt very freely. The fire brigade arrived after about 10 mins 
and
> finally put it out. Now a lovely car is "totalled". The engine bay ,
> bonnet , bumper front tyre all burned to crisp. The interior had 
started
> to melt but did not ignite.
> 
> It could easily have engulfed us, his timber clad house and double
> garage. We are not sure what caused it, probably a fuel leak, but 
with
> all that oil, wiring and plastic there is nothing that could have
> successfully tackled it, other than a couple of damn big fire 
engines.
> 
> I spent all afternoon helping to get the thing back on 4 wheels and
> dragged it up on my trailer and away from his house, to await the
> insurance folk.
> 
> Lesson learnt?  Don't leave you car ticking over whilst you have a 
cup
> of tea, do have a bloody great fire extinguisher to hand and use it
> sooner rather than later,  have a battery isolator, that you can 
easily
> get at just in case. (I have on both my DeLorean's) 
> 
> We were covered in black filthy muck and have had a few good lung 
fulls
> of absolutely choking smoke. 
> 
> Years ago I did train as an auxiliary fireman, but it was still
> foolhardy to continue to use the hose pipe, for the 10 long minutes,
> with flames getting nearer to the tank all the time.
> 
> Regards
> Chris Parnham
> DOC 2
> Vins 5638 & 20049



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