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The Wrong Kind of Combustion: YOU Can Prevent Automotive Fires
Fire is an unpredictable, humbling, destructive force. It can damage or incinerate everything from forests to factories, cabins to classic cars. Our vehicles—each made up of flammable liquids, electrical circuits, metal, glass, and upholstery—have everything needed to start a fire and then go up in flames once one ignites. Although vehicle fire or smoke damage is rare, it’s common and devastating enough to be a concern for any owner. Prevention and preparation are important, both in our vehicles and in the places we keep them.
In 2023 alone, Hagerty’s claims team saw a total of 1471 member vehicles sustain fire damage, up 7 percent from the year before. Over 70 of these vehicles, about 5 percent, were a total loss, and the average claim paid out was nearly $15,000. Though wildfires make headlines, most fires that damage classics start closer to (or at) home.
“The most common sources of vehicle fires are electrical failure or structure fire. A smaller percentage start from collisions or wildfires,” said Michelle Gourley, assistant manager of Hagerty’s Claims team.
Gourley also said that the typical structure fire starts with lighting or electrical failure and that battery tenders are a common culprit. When using chargers during long-term storage, to minimize the risk of ignition, they should be from a reputable brand, checked regularly, and set on timers if possible. Batteries can also be removed and charged away from combustible materials, and battery disconnect switches are a cheap, easy-to-install way to minimize the amount of charging needed. Speaking of storage, removing and properly storing or disposing of flammable materials (and the rags soaked in them) are other important safety steps.
In the event a fire does start, an accessible, up-to-date fire extinguisher can be the difference between minor damage and an inferno. Just as there are different types of fires, there are different ways to put them out (you wouldn’t throw water on a grease or electrical fire, etc.). There are different types of extinguishers, and each has strengths and weaknesses. For example, dry chemical fire extinguishers with an “A-B-C” rating are affordable, compact, and rated to put out all the types of fires common on vehicles. But they also leave behind a corrosive residue that must quickly be cleaned from a vehicle’s nooks and crannies to prevent even more damage. CO2 extinguishers, meanwhile, don’t leave a mess, but they aren’t as effective on certain types of fires. This is also true of AFFF (aqueous film-forming foam) extinguishers. There is, however, a relatively new and popular stick-shaped type of extinguisher that is compact, rated for all types of vehicle fires, leaves behind minimal mess, and has a higher than average shelf life.
Since vehicle fires can also happen out on the road, vehicle maintenance is as important as storage precautions. Regular checks and maintenance of fuel systems, carburetors, wiring harnesses, and all electrical connections is the best way to prevent fires from starting during a drive. The only real way to fight a fire that starts during a drive is with a compact extinguisher strapped into an accessible place within the vehicle. And if a fire does start, it’s best to avoid opening the hood, feeding the flames more of the oxygen they desperately want. Instead, aim the extinguisher through the grille. (Check back with us next week, when Kyle Smith will be publishing another article that dives deep into fire extinguishers.)
Of course, different situations call for different solutions and steps. “Do your research” is the single most common piece of advice in this hobby, but it’s a good one. And it’s just as good for keeping our classics safe as it is for shopping, restoring, and servicing them.
This story first appeared in the January/February 2025 issue of Hagerty Drivers Club magazine. Join the club to receive our award-winning magazine and enjoy insider access to automotive events, discounts, roadside assistance, and more.
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Seeing battery tenders being a cause does make wonder what types/models were used and the condition of said items. I replaced some figuring the age and contacts that were now corroding from the battery outgassing was all the reason I needed to update the 10+ year old tender, after replacing the battery of course.
You go with a good name brand like Battery Tender or similar model you are fine. It is when you go off the path of common models and buy a cheap no name Chinese model that you begin to take the risks.
Where I work we have sold Battery Tender brands the whole 30 years I have been there. Never saw one go bad and never had a warranty. If anything the older ones may be even made better than the new.
I had to replace one once as I forgot it was there and the 40 series rear tire kind of made it pretty flat when I rolled over it. My own stupidity.
Now if you have a damaged unit or it is making noise or smells then for sure more on. Also use a quality extension cord if you have to use one. This is the weak link often.
Also battery chargers. I never leave a battery to charge for power tools unless I’m there.
Most fires I find are carbs that bleed over.
Or the other issue is oil leaks.
Both are often self inflicted by someone who is clueless on carbs or lax is fixing something they can see and smell buringing before it even gets close to a fire.
👍 Good points. Similar to the rotten-smell of natural gas at home, the smell of raw gas should always be investigated, even if the carbs have been tweaked to run a tad too rich (why do that, anyway? cokes plugs, washes cylinder walls, wastes gas).
Be very wary of stressed, old power-steering hoses inexplicably routed near exhaust manifolds (common GM V-8 characteristic). I witnessed a rented GMC box van burn due to a ps hose failure, spraying hydraulic oil.
I’ve never used battery tenders for a multitude of reasons. Like car covers, they are an admission of defeat when it comes to actually driving the car, and I have seen them cook the fluid out of a lot of batteries. This is a third one.
When I first started driving, I bought a 79 Caddy that had an engine fire. I very painstakingly installed a junkyard harness, cap, rotor, etc., and a piece of rubber hose that was on the fuel line where it bends to go into the carburetor. Within a week of getting the car on the road, that hose separated and sprayed fuel all under the engine bay. I smelled it, stopped the car immediately, and realized I had identified the cause of the original engine fire. Although that rubber hose near the fuel fitting on GMs is a very common ‘aftermarket mod’, I learned to bend tubing very quickly.
I burned up a car while towing it to its customer. Didn’t realize a brake caliper was dragging until I heard the tire burst, which was then on fire. An extinguisher failed to put it out (the glowing rotor kept reigniting it) so unhooked it from the wrecker and watched it burn. With no motor, transmission, battery or fuel it was an unrecognizable crisp within fifteen minutes. Very expensive tuition toward my degree from the School of Hard Knocks.