Cautionary tale

[shaun4860]

I was at Bywell Shooting Ground today,

 

Whilst having a coffee the staff went into panic mode and a number dashed in, picked up fire extinguishers and ran out.

 

Now being the nosey sort I followed them to see smoke bellowing out of what I thought was the end building.

 

Turned out it was a Freelander, well alight with flames and smoke bellowing out,

 

Couple of small bangs and the rear side window went, the staff managed to get the rear hatch/door opened and eventually put the fire out, car was a write off.

 

Bare in mind the back of the front seats rearward was destroyed, smoke damage and extinguisher damage forward of this, with the head lining as you would expect totalled also.

 

The owner of said car whilst sorting out what could be saved of his gear and what couldn't, found what he believed the cause.

 

It was his personal driver also used for lamping,

 

While he was getting some of his gear out he didn't realise he had switched his lamp on, must have still been connected to the battery pack, the lamp was face down and set on fire whatever was underneath it.

 

These lamps (it was a big one) must throw out some heat to have caused this.

 

Result.....one 10 plate Freelander 2 totalled by fire.......

 

Worth checking your gear when the back of the car is stuffed with gear

 

[rovercoupe]

Thats pretty bad, I would be very cautious of a well alight car fire as gas struts on the boot go with a hell of a bang!

[Underdog]

Shame.

Yep a lamp face down is a classic.

[Rupert]

My ex missus son while returning from an overseas diving holiday had a diving torch in his suitcase. During the journey some of which was transatlantic the light had come on and melted the lens. I guess the battery had died before more serious damage occurred.

[sitsinhedges]

I once owned a pea green Lada. I know . Accidentally left a Britax Quartz Fire halogen lamp face down on the passenger seat and it melted its way right thru the seat material and foam lining. Put on a seat cover and traded it in for a new van

[shinybum]

a friend had a similar fire in his car when a battery from his model air plane was on charge from the cig lighter socket

[walt1980]

Yeah li-po batteries go up well! My dad was well into the model helicopters and had about 6 decent sized ones, was in the shed chatting to him one day and one popped and went up like a flame thrower!

From then on he charged them outside and in a battery bag!

He also set fire to a tree about half a mile away in the farmers garden, had to get a fire engine out for that one 😂😂😂😂

[rovercoupe]

I once owned a pea green Lada. I know . Accidentally left a Britax Quartz Fire halogen lamp face down on the passenger seat and it melted its way right thru the seat material and foam lining. Put on a seat cover and traded it in for a new van

 

I still own a Lada

[sitsinhedges]

 

I still own a Lada

 

Not a pea green Riva with a hole in the passenger seat I hope

[Ziplobb]

bloke here on the Island lost his Disco 3 to a fire - it took 8 OldBill to deal with it becasue he had 100 shotgun carts in the back - they were more interested in tat than any other aspect of the fire

[hedge]

My ex missus son while returning from an overseas diving holiday had a diving torch in his suitcase. During the journey some of which was transatlantic the light had come on and melted the lens. I guess the battery had died before more serious damage occurred.

 

The old dive torch bulbs (pre-LED) used to run very hot which is why you were never supposed to use them `dry` (i.e - out of the water). Best Practice when travelling was to put the battery in backwards to prevent mid-flight dramas

 

As you said - the battery probably gave out before anything more serious occurred.

[neil w]

My brother, burnt the covers on my cibe Oscar's .on my mk2 escort .forgot the covers where on Doh. Saved for a few weeks to buy them. But he bought me a new set?

Edited January 18, 2016 by neil w

[la bala]

Was once welding the under side of a vehicle, always had a halogen light lying on the floor, that was until it melted the body of my grinder.

[Rupert]

 

The old dive torch bulbs (pre-LED) used to run very hot which is why you were never supposed to use them `dry` (i.e - out of the water). Best Practice when travelling was to put the battery in backwards to prevent mid-flight dramas

 

As you said - the battery probably gave out before anything more serious occurred.

Never happen with my canister lights but this was a 6 D cell thing and the lad did it without thinking, the pressure of shutting the suitcase must have come to bear on the switch, a lesson learned and a lucky escape for sure.

 

Edit, im sure current can pass either way thru a bulb, in this case would a reversed battery give a switched negative on the circuit?

Edited January 18, 2016 by Rupert

[hedge]

Never happen with my canister lights but this was a 6 D cell thing and the lad did it without thinking, the pressure of shutting the suitcase must have come to bear on the switch, a lesson learned and a lucky escape for sure.

 

Edit, im sure current can pass either way thru a bulb, in this case would a reversed battery give a switched negative on the circuit?

 

Just to clarify - not reversed polarity but putting the battery in backwards so the connectors are nowhere near the terminals.