# What could make a parked car burst into flames in the dead of night? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 7, 2019, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-make-a-parked-car-burst-into-flames-in-the-dead-of-night/843134 "2019-11-07T17:29:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![PlumBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@PlumBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlumBob)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2019, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-make-a-parked-car-burst-into-flames-in-the-dead-of-night/843134/21 "2019-11-08T17:14:19Z")
I’ve seen a positive battery cable’s insulation wear through from rubbing on the starter. Lots of sparks, just short of a fire. (pun intended) It was an older car, I think they route wires better now days. ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2019, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-make-a-parked-car-burst-into-flames-in-the-dead-of-night/843134/22 "2019-11-08T17:45:47Z")
I don’t know about you guys, but I just raked up all the leaves in the driveway. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2019, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-make-a-parked-car-burst-into-flames-in-the-dead-of-night/843134/23 "2019-11-08T17:48:05Z")
> [@jaycat](#): > > I don’t know about you guys, but I just raked up all the leaves in the driveway. Rake the forest too. I hear it prevents all kinds of fire. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2019, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-make-a-parked-car-burst-into-flames-in-the-dead-of-night/843134/24 "2019-11-08T18:04:09Z")
There are lots of ways from what I understand. On mid 1990s F-150 pickups, the cruise control servo was powered all the time for some reason, even when the vehicle was off. That wouldn’t be a problem normally, but on the F-150 the cruise control happened to be below the brake fluid reservoir. If brake fluid dripped onto the powered servo, it could start a fire, and Ford issued a recall for that. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2019, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-make-a-parked-car-burst-into-flames-in-the-dead-of-night/843134/25 "2019-11-08T20:33:51Z")
> [@Hermione](#): > > But what in God’s name could cause a parked car, not turned on, to catch fire in the middle of the night? I’ve been reading some reports of [parked BMWs catching fire](https://abc11.com/automotive/bmw-mystery-some-owners-claim-parked-car-caught-fire/1976576/), but I don’t know if this was a BMW. One of my co-workers suggests that maybe a squirrel/cat/raccoon/what-have-you got into it and chewed on the wires. > So what do you guys think? Was it a newer model BMW? Newer cars are using soy-based wiring insulation that little rodents love to eat. The consensus around here seems to be that they find BMW’s formula especially tasty. My first guess would be that a rodent shorted out a wire and caused some sparks which started the fire. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2019, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-make-a-parked-car-burst-into-flames-in-the-dead-of-night/843134/26 "2019-11-08T20:40:09Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Debt collection. Recent ex-wife or girlfriend. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2019, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-make-a-parked-car-burst-into-flames-in-the-dead-of-night/843134/27 "2019-11-08T21:51:04Z")
Was it a 64 Chevy Malibu? It might have been the heat from the dead aliens in the trunk. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2019, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-make-a-parked-car-burst-into-flames-in-the-dead-of-night/843134/28 "2019-11-08T21:51:59Z")
… or ex-husband or boyfriend. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2019, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-make-a-parked-car-burst-into-flames-in-the-dead-of-night/843134/29 "2019-11-08T21:52:51Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > Recent ex-wife or girlfriend. Or even one of each. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2019, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-make-a-parked-car-burst-into-flames-in-the-dead-of-night/843134/30 "2019-11-09T10:07:19Z")
cigarette fires typically start around an hour after the cigarette is dropped. I mention this not to suggest that it was a cigarette fire, but because its the nature of smoldering fires that they get noticed, and put out, or don’t get noticed, and go out naturally, or don’t get noticed, and burst into flames some time later. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2019, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-make-a-parked-car-burst-into-flames-in-the-dead-of-night/843134/31 "2019-11-09T13:04:37Z")
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > Was it a newer model BMW? Newer cars are using soy-based wiring insulation that little rodents love to eat. The consensus around here seems to be that they find BMW’s formula especially tasty. My first guess would be that a rodent shorted out a wire and caused some sparks which started the fire. My mother told me, decades ago, about a doctor’s BMW which burst into flames while parked outside the hospital. I can’t imagine how, but the insurance company worked out that a leak had caused a short. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-make-a-parked-car-burst-into-flames-in-the-dead-of-night/843134.md?page=1)