Sunglasses Warning After Fire Rips Through Vehicle

Summer has well and truly arrived in the UK, with some of the hottest days of the year occurring in recent weeks.

While people across the country have been donning their shades and heading out to enjoy the rays, a recent incident in Nottinghamshire has seen motorists warned that they must remain vigilant.

A dreadful fire ripped through a car after a pair of sunglasses were left on the dashboard, prompting Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue to warn people not to leave objects in direct sunlight. 

How did the fire start?

Firefighters attended the incident in the Nottinghamshire village of Nuthall on Saturday 27th May which, at the time, was the hottest day of the year so far. 

The car owner left a pair of sunglasses on their dashboard which ignited a blaze by magnifying the sun’s rays. This melted the car’s plastic interior and parts of the engine bay, creating a fire that ripped through the vehicle.    

Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue have since shared photos of the incident on social media, and warned people not to leave anything shiny that could cause a fire on their dashboards or in view of the sun’s powerful rays.

Things that could set your car on fire

While it’s rare for sunglasses to set a car on fire, it’s important to stay vigilant, especially when the temperatures soar.

However, there are a number of other and more common reasons why your car could catch on fire. 

These include the following:

• Fuel system leaks – Due to the highly flammable nature of fuel, and petrol in particular, any leak from your fuel system can potentially cause a fire. If the fuel comes into contact with a heat source, it can cause a devastating blaze. 

• Oil leaks – Similar to fuel leaks, oil is also flammable and any leaks should be addressed as soon as possible. Just like with fuel, if oil comes into contact with a heat source it could potentially cause a fire. This is most likely to happen with hot parts of an engine or exhaust system.

• Overheating engines – Engines always get pretty hot when your vehicle is in use, but if they overheat, the consequences can be devastating. This is because the engine oil or coolant can boil over and come into contact with hotter parts of the engine, resulting in a fire. 

• Problems with exhaust systems – Your car’s exhaust plays a fundamental role in your vehicle, removing harmful toxins from the engine. This can cause the exhaust system to get very hot, and a damaged exhaust could mean it comes into contact with flammable materials that cause a fire.

• Improperly installed batteries – If batteries are incorrectly installed, they can cause sparks which have the potential to ignite flammable materials.             

What to do if your car sets on fire 

If a car catches fire, it can be extremely dangerous and you must take action immediately. If improperly handled, a car fire can be fatal, so it’s vital that you follow the steps below to ensure you, your passengers and other road users remain safe if this situation occurs.

• Pull over immediately 

If you’re driving when your car catches fire, the first thing you need to do is pull over in the first available safe place. Remain calm and try to make sure this is away from traffic and pedestrians and switch off the engine.

• Exit the vehicle 

A car can become engulfed in flames rapidly, so don’t spend time collecting belongings or calling emergency services from your vehicle. Get out as soon as you can.   

• Warn others and call for help

If possible, warn any nearby road users or pedestrians of the presence of the fire. As well as this, you should promptly call 999, ask for the fire service and make it clear your vehicle is on fire. 

• Move to a safe distance away from the fire 

You should get as far away from the fire as possible. Often, there’s no telling whether or not a car is going to explode, and this can be extremely dangerous. So move a good distance from the vehicle to ensure you’re not in harm’s way. 

• Don’t try to extinguish a car fire yourself

You should never try and extinguish a car fire yourself. Only trained professionals should tackle the blaze, and as mentioned above, an explosion could occur at any time.

At The Windscreen Company, we provide customers across the West Midlands and South East with a leading windscreen replacement and windscreen repair service. We strive to get people back on the roads as soon as possible and even offer mobile windscreen replacement services that see us head to a location of your convenience to carry out the work. For more information about what we do, get in touch with The Windscreen Company today.

The Windscreen Company

The Windscreen Company

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The Windscreen Company, has over 20 years of experience in windscreen repair and replacement. Since 1998, they have been at the forefront of industry innovation, leveraging the latest technology to ensure customer safety and satisfaction.

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