# Car chase --\> ?? --\> car on fire?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-chase-car-on-fire/539539>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 15, 2010, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-chase-car-on-fire/539539 "2010-05-15T13:26:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2010, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-chase-car-on-fire/539539/21 "2010-05-18T21:22:56Z")

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> [@si\_blakely](#):
>
> Oh, you live in England, too 😉

New England, actually. You didn’t think the English settlers just liked the name, did you? They came here, experienced the terrible weather, and thought of home.

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**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2010, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-chase-car-on-fire/539539/22 "2010-05-18T22:21:34Z")

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> [@elfkin477](#):
>
> New England, actually. You didn’t think the English settlers just liked the name, did you? They came here, experienced the terrible weather, and thought of home.

New Hampshire, same as the old Hampshire

Si

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**Author:** ![Umbriel2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/4af34b/32.png) [@Umbriel2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Umbriel2)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-chase-car-on-fire/539539/23 "2010-05-19T01:26:08Z")

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It seems to me that a hybrid vehicle, in a bad enough wreck to cause gas leakage, could potentially also have a ready source of sparks available given that they [apparently pose electrocution hazards](http://www.aa1car.com/library/hybrid_hazards.htm). Has anyone heard of such a fire occurring?

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**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-chase-car-on-fire/539539/24 "2010-05-19T02:46:44Z")

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One thing worth mentioning, if you need more reasons for the cops not to attempt a rescue, is that car fires are kinda nasty. They put off a lot of toxic smoke, have a lot of flammable material and fluids and have a lot of things that can cause minor explosions and go flying.

I’ve seen a car catch on fire in a parking lot and the gas strut that holds up the hood exploded, somehow flew 30 feet and ended up sticking out of the bumper of another car. It didn’t catch the other car on fire, but the bumper was melted around the strut. Hearing a pop and something flying through the woods could help keep the cops away from the car.

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