Minor Crash Causes Devastating Fire?

... you flipped the car... there is nothing minor about that.

 

Documentation? Are we sure there were no trolls under the tree? No offense intended,, just wishing to be sure.

Icarus

 

Did the airbags fire? Was the power still on after the car flipped? (The impact should have shut down the ignition and isolated the battery.) Did anyone smell gasoline, or see where the fire originated?

And have you really regained enough composure already to register to PC and post a non-troll item?

 

Agreed. And you "smashed into a tree." Assuming that's not hyperbole on your part, that too tells me it wasn't minor.

My guess is that with the car on its side it was leaking fuel somewhere. It's almost certain that something other than the battery was the source of ignition. An operating automobile has many hot components and as metal slides across concrete or asphalt it produces sparks.

The emergency responders are misinformed if they think the battery is a likely cause. I say that as an emergency responder of 36 years who is very familiar with and very confident in the safety features of the car.

Glad you're OK, regardless.

 

Hi ecowan,

As with most cars, the fuel lines, filters and fittings to hook that altogether are on the right side of the car. Smash up the right side of the car, and tilt it on its side, and fuel will flow down onto the hot exhaust manifold. It does not take any imagination as to what will happen next. In any car.

Maybe next time you will be driving with both hands on the wheel.

 

PLEASE do not feed the TROLLS!

 

Had a local fireman start in about how he would let a hybrid burn as he didn't want to risk electrocution. (He didn't know I had one.) I replied that while I didn't believe there was really a risk, it probably didn't matter as the car would most likely be totalled anyway if a fire started anywhere in it.

 

I can't decide whether to call complete BS or just point people
at Toyota's emergency response guide, or both.
One post, breathless story, do the math.
.
_H*

 

I'm glad you weren't hurt, but anytime a vehicle hits a tree and ends up on its side, it's no longer a minor accident (to the car.) Folks who don't buckle up can easily end up ejected from/underneath the vehicle that way. My guess from your description is that the vehicle would have been close to totalling before the fire since you would have been looking at repairs to the whole front and all of one side at a minimum.

The description of the location of the start of the fire is not surprising as it is not uncommon with other vehicles. A friend's Citation burned up in the parking lot from a leak around the carb for example. Another kid I knew in high school lost his dad in some sort of engine fire (I don't recollect the circumstances but don't think it was a wreck.) With a hit like that, the car on its side and fluid likely leaking onto a hot engine or other components, a fire is not uncommon.

People suspect you are a troll because it is not uncommon for folks who dislike the Prius to come in with some strange story on their first post. They do it to see if anyone will bite (take them seriously) and it is a practice on the net that is commonly known as trolling. I might be falling for it right now, but I'm giving you the benefit of a doubt.

 

Ecowan, please forgive us if we're a little gun shy. This is a popular site and we're popular targets of those who would stir up trouble. Indeed, most well-intentioned folks would not "bother coming onto a forum just to convince a few people who are devoted to hybrids ... that they are dangerous vehicles," but trolls often enter under such a pretense just to stir things up. (Do a Google search for "troll" to get a good sense of how it's used in this context.) As often as they surface, it's tough sometimes discerning the legitimate posts from the illegitmate.

Back to your issue. You won't necessarily smell gasoline if any that was leaking ignited quickly. The smell of burning material (wiring, plastics, rubber, etc.) likely will overwhelm all other odors. And as Donee describes, there are many potential leak sources in the front of the car.

As for reading the ERG, I would encourage you to do so, if only to reassure yourself of the hybrid system's safety. And maybe to help educate your local emergency crews -- sounds like they need it.

 

I tend to be suspicious regarding posts like these but the guy does sound sincere. However, I seriously doubt that the battery caused the fire. Too bad you didn't have a cell phone camera to take photos. Luckily you didn't sustain any injuries. However, this does not scare me one way or another that hybrids are inherently dangerous.

 

i was at a picnic mostly populated by teenagers back in high school and saw someone roll their car and they were only going about 20 mph as well. they were scooting along a ditch in tall grass trying to find a place to park (we partied out in the woods away from everyone mostly because we were all underage and you couldnt do anything fun in public...) and had the car at an angle and hit a rock and rolled over. it was weird watching them cause the car rolled in slow motion...

now this was a Ford Fairlane 500 a big wide car that i thought would be tough to roll over.

 

Since I first mentioned the Troll in post #2,, I'm sorry if I upset you. As has been suggested,, it seems a bit suspicious that this is your first series of posts. My sincere sympathy and I'm glad you weren't hurt. Some proof positive would be nice however.

Icaurs

 

I have known people who have died in rollover crashes - not from the impact or trauma, but from post-crash fire.

You clearly stated smoke and fire from the right front side. I suggest you pop the hood on a similar vintage Prius and carefully check what is on the right front side of the engine bay

As a hint, there is NO battery anywhere near there. However, upend a car and all that hot motor oil that was in the engine, is now allowed to run out all over the hot exhaust manifold and other engine parts. The autoignition point of motor oil is typically under 500 F, though with synthetic oils can be as high as 800 F

The evil, dreaded NiMH traction battery is located behind the rear seat. It shouldn't leak in a rollover. The 12 vdc battery used to boot up the car, is located in the right rear area, next to the spare tire well. It's an AGM battery with an external vent tube, and also shouldn't leak if upended

Semi trucks will usually catch fire if they flip onto their side, as the +5 gallons of hot engine oil will catch fire on the hot motor. This ambulance chasing lawyer site has photos of such a truck fire

Truck Fire Accident, Crash and Burn Fire Photos and pictures from Car Accidents.com

Did you also know that engine coolant is a fire hazard in an accident?

AUTOMOBILE ENGINE COOLANT RELATED FIRES

The right front side of the Prius also has the windshield washer tank. Most washer fluids contain methanols for freeze protection, and as a solvent to help clean the windshield

http://www.dalube.com/MSDS/Windshield Washer Solvent.pdf

So if people are telling you that the evil Prius bursts into flames because of the "battery" I call bulls***. Many vehicles will catch fire after rolling over. My FJ Cruiser would probably catch fire after a rollover