Does it matter? :rolleyes:
Right. And though it may be better for emergency-exit purposes if you allowed one of the passenger-compartment doors to stay immediately behind the front partition while the other was all the way back in the rear, that asymmetry would require a lot more engineering to provide the necessary rigidity to the “plug”, including a custom design for that forward-located passenger compartment door.
the only good a fire extinguisher would have been is smashing the windows so people could get out.
Okay - a bit harsh. Given your expertise (??) in these areas, would you support the idea that there is something a bit strange about this? It is not like there are a lot of stories about cars bursting into flames while on the road…
Do those standards also apply to aftermarket modifications of vehicles, such as the custom transformation of a mass-produced sedan into a limousine? Or can a limo manufacturer legally* make his bench seats out of whatever he wants?
*Even if it is legal to make limos out of flammable materials, I realize that may not excuse them from civil liability…
Reports now say the fire started in the trunk area. Guessing here, but probably a fuel line broke somehow, either close to the tank, or in a way that it spewed gasoline into the area in or around the trunk so that there was a large quantity of gasoline to ignite, or the tank itself ignited. The fireball that created could easily breech the interior, and even flame retardant materials will burn rapidly when hit with a blazing ball of burning gasoline vapors.
I’m pretty sure limos must be built according to the safety standards for all cars, and there are a lot of aftermarket car modification operations in California, so these rules would be well known. But that doesn’t stop an aftermarket operation from ignoring the regulations. Some of these limos are decked out in side with cloth covering all over the interior, not just seats and floors. Even if flame retardant to some degree, enough heat and accelerant will get that stuff burning, and even if the flames aren’t lethal the smoke usually is. I doubt there is a high level of inspection, especially for limos which may be built on custom orders.
Some of the early posts speculated a mechanical problem in the rear related to a U-joint, axle, or conventional rear-end, but I would think limos would all be built from front wheel drive vehicles now-a-days to make it easier and lower the cost. Anybody have info on that?
I’d bet serious money that a full inspection of most customized limos - especially the older, party-oriented ones like this one - would show extensive use of non-compliant materials. Shag rugs, fuzzy nonretardant fabric, varnished and oiled wood, extensive high-current wiring without adequate abrasion protection.
I’d venture that 95% of limos are built on RWD chassis. There are very few full-size (really full-size, not Taurus) vehicles with FWD.
At this point, I’m betting on pressurized fuel leak into the trunk. Horrifying way to go, and it must have been really nasty, as they’re saying 2-3 days just for identifying the bodies.
His family later admitted that it was a suicide attempt, and the free-basing story, though somewhat plausible, given his past, was a contrivance. (Unless you meant that in the same sense that many of us throw out Mama Cass ‘ham sandwich stories’.)
It seems like a great idea, but I’m not surprised. I have been driving for 35 years and have never had a fire extinguisher in any of my cars, nor do I ever remember being in anyone else’s car that had one. I’ve only seen them in commercial vehicles.
Pryor HIMSELF admitted that, actually.
I’m wondering ths myself. I work in the materials testing industry. I quote testing for FMVSS 302 nearly every day, but I have no idea if aftermarket parts would be required to meet it. I do know that seemingly very few aftermarket items get any sort of testing, and when it does happen, it’s usually because it’s
some kind of “licensed” accessory, and the automaker has required that it meet their internal quality standards.
For all I know, the seating in the limo might have been whatever foam and fabric was on sale at the local JoAnne’s or Michael’s that day.
They probably got the stuff at a fire sale.
He tried to commit suicide by lighting himself on fire?!
:eek:
He had been freebasing and drinking heavily, and had his share of problems. Bad combination, the kind that lead to half-assed suicide attempts that work halfway.
I’m not surprised the majority of people didn’t have one. I’m surprised NOBODY had one.
I usually keep it in the trunk. I use a bungee cord around the back latch so it’s the first thing you see when opening it.
I know a fair number of people who have them. It’s usually fallout from using them in other vehicles. Pilots, truckers, boat owners, sports car enthusiasts… Basically anybody who thought about the consequences of a fire.
I also carry a flashlight, small tool box, a 12V air compressor and spare fuses. All of which I’ve used many times helping others.
George Carlin discussed this. He said they were having a sort of competition. First Pryor had a heart attack, so Carlin then had a heart attack himself. Then Pryor set himself on fire. Carlin said “To hell with that” and had another heart attack.
We’ve had 4 houses near my house go up in smoke thanks to crack pipes. One house was 3 doors down from me. Crack head inherited it from his dad. I used to see him walking past my house every day to the Exxon for his beer run. He didn’t have a car anymore. House went up like napalm one night. Took two firetruck to keep it from spreading to adjacent houses. House set there two years boarded up before it sold and eventually got fixed.
Unfortunately I foolishly tried to help a woman with a drug problem. She would specifically ask to go to this one convenience store. She would come out with this plastic flower in a glass tube. She eventually clued me in. The flower was a gimmick so the store didn’t get nailed for selling drug paraphernalia. The glass is very thin and cheap. She went through two or three flower tubes a week because they broke from the hot crack. Imagine the fire hazard there. Most legit convenience stores won’t sell flowers because of the known drug connection.
Anyway thats my bet for what happened in that limo. Either it broke and got on the carpet or they laid a red hot pipe down.
Or perhaps not. 
But thats a known high intensity fire source thats cost declining neighborhoods a lot of homes.
If you looked at the video the smoke moved back to front. Smashing out a window would have done little to help the situation. Only one of the women made it through the front window. Their only chance was to exit through the back doors. A fire extinguisher would have provided the few seconds needed to transit the area on fire. I don’t know if you’ve ever used a fire extinguisher but they’re pretty effective at dealing with localized fires for brief periods.
I carry a fire extinguisher for 2 reasons. To put out a fire in my car (after exiting) to mitigate further damage and for any accidents I come across. The first thing I do when I come up to an accident is get it out in case a fire erupts. So far I’ve saved a truck trailer from burning to the ground. It’s not the answer to world hunger or stupid politicians but I think they’re a good investment just the same. Oh, and I did put out an alley once fire when some kids set a couch on fire next to a garage. So that’s 2 fires that didn’t get out of control because of an extinguisher.
Shudder. here they are. Flowers. I won’t go into how brillo pads or steel wool is used. Thats another factor in the extreme heat that gets generated.
http://worldofwonder.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/crackpop2.png
I have several extinguishers in my house. Three of them are installed in the basement/garage/kitchen, and a fourth is stored in the basement (gifts from my fire-safety-conscious parents). I could put the fourth in my car, but I wonder, what kind of storage temperatures will extinguishers tolerate? I’d imagine the trunk of a car parked in the Arizona noonday sun could get pretty damn hot. Will an extinguisher be OK under these conditions?