Accident damage, unless massive, can be repaired. But if fire
takes hold of your car it will destroy it. With so many
flammable materials and fuel sources, fire rips through a car in
minutes and, by the time the fire brigade arrives, it will be
unrestorable. Fire requires two things: something flammable,
such as fuel, and a source of ignition. Gasoline is the obvious
scapegoat for vehicle fires, but it’s often not the original
source. For example, tip a few drops of gasoline on a hot
exhaust manifold and usually it will harmlessly evaporate. Tip a
few drops of brake fluid and it may burst into angry flames – at
least, that was the case a decade ago. Since then, most brake
fluid makers have taken note and changed their formulation; but
have you changed the fluid in your brake system to a non-
flammable type? Rubber and some plastics burn strongly, while
oil (engine or diesel) requires little encouragement to join in.
Paint burns well too, so in the end it’s only the metal parts of
the car that won’t join the pa