Posted on Tue, Apr 30, 2013 : 9:54 a.m.
Ann Arbor firefighters extinguish car fire at Huron High School
By Cindy Heflin
Firefighters extinguish a car fire in the Huron High School parking lot Tuesday morning.
Ann Arbor Fire Department photo
The student driver of the car told firefighters that it was overheating as he drove to school. Once he got to school he saw flames under the car and called 911 about 8:30 a.m.
The car was burning when firefighters arrived. They extinguished it, but the car, a 1985 Lincoln, was a total loss.
Comments
A2comments
Wed, May 1, 2013 : 10:40 a.m.
Michigan should have a mandatory vehicle inspection like some other states, which results in lower emissions and safer cars. What drives around on our streets with no maintenance is scary.
TinyArtist
Wed, May 1, 2013 : noon
And the cars they drive can be even scarier.
jackson west
Tue, Apr 30, 2013 : 5:50 p.m.
There are a lot of WILD animals near Huron High School, even stay dogs. I wonder if this is related. Also, if this was a prank, it is never ok to joke with fire. EVER!!!!
WalkingJoe
Tue, Apr 30, 2013 : 7:04 p.m.
jackson, did you even read the article? The car was overheating, obviously it was a mechanical problem.
Stewart G. Griffin
Tue, Apr 30, 2013 : 5:18 p.m.
Those kids from Pioneer can really hold a grudge, can't they!
lefty48197
Tue, Apr 30, 2013 : 5:10 p.m.
He should have pulled into "the grit lot".
treetowncartel
Tue, Apr 30, 2013 : 4:39 p.m.
"My Pappy said: Son, you're going to drive me to drinkin' if you don't stop drivin' that hot rod Lincoln."
Danielle Arndt
Tue, Apr 30, 2013 : 4:20 p.m.
Wow, how scary for the student! Glad this turned out ok. To Chester Drawers comment, could other cars really have gone up in flames, too, had the student parked next to them? Maybe that's a silly question. But if my car appeared to be just overheating, I would not have thought it was going to start on fire, let alone have had the presence of mind to park away from others thinking it could start other cars on fire.
YpsiLivin
Tue, Apr 30, 2013 : 4:42 p.m.
"...could other cars really have gone up in flames, too, had the student parked next to them? " Yes. Vehicle fires are intense. Radiant heat can easily damage or ignite nearby vehicles. Gasoline has a flashover point of 45°F, but the temperature in a smoldering vehicle can reach 400°F. In a leaking car, flashover can happen very quickly. Most thermoplastics in a car have flame retardants in them, but they're there to buy time, not prevent fires. They discharge their fire retardants at about 350°F, and then it's off to the races. The temperature in a fully involved car fire can exceed 1,700°F, which is hot enough to melt glass and steel. A completely burned car can be so badly damaged that after the fire, it's not possible to tell what kind of car it was. Fluid leaks, followed by electrical failures are the two most common causes of car fires. (Unless you're in Hollywood, where minor collisions cause cars to explode on contact.)
Dog Guy
Tue, Apr 30, 2013 : 4:09 p.m.
Let me guess. The redundant master cylinder speed control shutoff switch leaked and set itself on fire. This switch was not Texas Instruments' best product.
Ann English
Tue, Apr 30, 2013 : 4:07 p.m.
Just reading the past two days about the oil pressure light coming on means DON"T KEEP DRIVING, OR THE CAR COULD CATCH FIRE. I'm glad it wasn't vandals. When I was there, the vandals would turn a car upside down and vandalize it more with graffiti. Or set the school auditorium on fire. A student driver has enough to attend to without keeping a maintenance log on his car. Yes, the rest of us can call in late for work, but at least this student has the modern convenience of cellphone for unintended emergencies.
Moewan
Tue, Apr 30, 2013 : 7:54 p.m.
What???
Chester Drawers
Tue, Apr 30, 2013 : 3:33 p.m.
Thank goodness he had the presence of mind not to park right next to another car. Sometimes kids don't!
Nicholas Urfe
Tue, Apr 30, 2013 : 3:33 p.m.
Now that is a good excuse for being late to class. Of course most of the teachers I had still wouldn't have accepted it. "The world isn't fair, Mr. Urfe. You get a zero on the test."
WalkingJoe
Tue, Apr 30, 2013 : 4:40 p.m.
I think I had some of the same teachers or at least some like them. "A fever of 105 is no excuse for missing school young man."
WalkingJoe
Tue, Apr 30, 2013 : 2:40 p.m.
Sorry he lost his car but real glad no one was hurt.
Craig Lounsbury
Tue, Apr 30, 2013 : 2:36 p.m.
my condolences to the lad who lost his ride.