Fire burns over 100 cars in Atsugi, Japan (車100台以上が燃えた火事) Aug. 20, 2023

[Tokion]

Not related to Lotus Emira specifically, but a fire in a pachinko parlor’s parking lot burnt down more than 100 cars today August 20, 2023. The reason for this fire 🔥 is under investigation.

News report:
<<A vehicle fire accompanied by an explosion at the multi-story parking lot of the Shimoogino pachinko parlor Maruhan Atsugi Kita store in Atsugi City, Kanagawa Prefecture. ” #Atsugi Maruhan August 20, 2023>>

【火事】神奈川県厚木市下荻野 パチンコ店マルハン厚木北店の立体駐車場で爆発を伴う車両火災「バンバン爆発音すごい、100台近くに延焼して火の海で尋常じゃない黒煙が上がってる」#厚木マルハン8月20日 (2023)

【火事】神奈川県厚木市下荻野 パチンコ店マルハン厚木北店の立体駐車場で爆発を伴う車両火災「バンバン爆発音すごい、100台近くに延焼して火の海で尋常じゃない黒煙が上がってる」#厚木マルハン 8月20日

14時30分頃　神奈川県厚木市下荻野で火災発生 家の前のマルハン駐車場で火事煙エグいしめっちゃバンバン言ってる pic.twitter.com/I8LuBW9dFT— かずや (@kazuya_2401) August 20, 2023 い

matomebu.com

 

[virtualmacho]

Wow, I wonder what ignited the fire...

 

[forest]

Not related to Lotus Emira specifically, but a fire in a pachinko parlor’s parking lot burnt down more than 100 cars today August 20, 2023. The reason for this fire 🔥 is under investigation.

News report:
<<A vehicle fire accompanied by an explosion at the multi-story parking lot of the Shimoogino pachinko parlor Maruhan Atsugi Kita store in Atsugi City, Kanagawa Prefecture. ” #Atsugi Maruhan August 20, 2023>>

【火事】神奈川県厚木市下荻野 パチンコ店マルハン厚木北店の立体駐車場で爆発を伴う車両火災「バンバン爆発音すごい、100台近くに延焼して火の海で尋常じゃない黒煙が上がってる」#厚木マルハン8月20日 (2023)

【火事】神奈川県厚木市下荻野 パチンコ店マルハン厚木北店の立体駐車場で爆発を伴う車両火災「バンバン爆発音すごい、100台近くに延焼して火の海で尋常じゃない黒煙が上がってる」#厚木マルハン 8月20日

14時30分頃　神奈川県厚木市下荻野で火災発生 家の前のマルハン駐車場で火事煙エグいしめっちゃバンバン言ってる pic.twitter.com/I8LuBW9dFT— かずや (@kazuya_2401) August 20, 2023 い

matomebu.com

In Japan, 1,000 vehicle fires occur annually.
This is in addition to fires caused by accidents.
This means that there are two to three vehicle fires per day, and depending on where they occur, they can involve many vehicles.
Although not related to this fire, some German cities have banned BEV from entering underground parking lots.

 

[Tokion]

In Japan, 1,000 vehicle fires occur annually.
This is in addition to fires caused by accidents.
This means that there are two to three vehicle fires per day, and depending on where they occur, they can involve many vehicles.
Although not related to this fire, some German cities have banned BEV from entering underground parking lots.

Yes, I actually had a major fire in my own previous (ICE) car while on a public road in Tokyo. There was a full investigation as to the cause. It was the very heavy wiring (large gauge) going to the electric steering motor that had come off and ignited.

However, todays incident is not yet confirmed to have originated from a car (this has to be determined from the investigation).

It does seem that he fire did spread from car to car on the parking lot; finally comprising over 100 cars. But even this must be determined from the official investigation.

Maybe other Japan resident members here can follow the Japanese media to see what gets discovered from this rather major fire destroying so many cars?

 

[Tokion]

A follow-up to the car fire in Atsugi, Kanagawa, Japan where over 100 cars burnt down on August 20, 2023.

The fire department investigations have pinpointed that the fire started from underneath the engine of a diesel car. There is a witness, and also a recording from a nearby car’s drive recorder, that helped the investigation.

Here is some published reporting (there are also other reports that have some different details). As Forest pointed out above, there are around 1000 car fires a year in Japan, a country with 120 million inhabitants. It is also a fact that the geographical area of Japan is limited in relation to the population, and that it is a very mountainous country as well. This means that the population (and the space to use/park cars) is limited, so everything is kind of squeezed together.

Some years ago, I personally had a car fire in my own car on the street, and I also participated in the investigation process to find the exact cause. (See my previous post.) I am really impressed by the Japanese fire department investigators and their know-how and thoroughness.

JAPANESE NEWS ARTICLE (Aug 22, 2023)
　20日午後、厚木市のパチンコ店の立体駐車場で火災があり、3916平方mが焼けました。
　駐車場の車は152台が燃え、消防によりますと、2階に駐車されていたディーゼル車のエンジンの下から火が出たことがわかりました。この車の運転手への聞き取りと、周辺のドライブレコーダーの映像などから、車を停めて15分から30分で火が出たということです。当時は、2階の157台ある駐車スペースに155台が停まっていました。
消防は、自動車に使われている樹脂が燃えたことで周辺の車に燃え広がったと見ています。なお、火が出た直接の原因はわかっていません。

Google Translation:
On the afternoon of the 20th, there was a fire in the multi-story parking lot of a pachinko parlor in Atsugi City, burning 3,916 square meters.
　152 cars in the parking lot were on fire, and firefighters found that the fire broke out from under the engine of a diesel car parked on the second floor. According to interviews with the driver of this car and footage from the drive recorder in the area, the fire broke out 15 to 30 minutes after the car was parked. At that time, 155 cars were parked in the 157 parking spaces on the second floor.
Firefighters believe that the fire spread to nearby cars due to the burning of the resin used in the car. The direct cause of the fire is unknown.

****

Forgot to mention that my car that burnt was a famous German ICE (gasoline/petrol), and that in recent months the same German brand’s diesel cars are being recalled (world-wide) because they are prone to cause fires. However, I realize that cars causing fires are not limited to one brand and not even one manufacturing country. Neither is it limited to ICE vs BEV, while it does seem that BEV fires involving lithium batteries are particularly persistent and nasty.

 

[eriegz]

A follow-up to the car fire in Atsugi, Kanagawa, Japan where over 100 cars burnt down on August 20, 2023.

The fire department investigations have pinpointed that the fire started from underneath the engine of a diesel car. There is a witness, and also a recording from a nearby car’s drive recorder, that helped the investigation.

Here is some published reporting (there are also other reports that have some different details). As Forest pointed out above, there are around 1000 car fires a year in Japan, a country with 120 million inhabitants. It is also a fact that the geographical area of Japan is limited in relation to the population, and that it is a very mountainous country as well. This means that the population (and the space to use/park cars) is limited, so everything is kind of squeezed together.

Some years ago, I personally had a car fire in my own car on the street, and I also participated in the investigation process to find the exact cause. (See my previous post.) I am really impressed by the Japanese fire department investigators and their know-how and thoroughness.

JAPANESE NEWS ARTICLE (Aug 22, 2023)
　20日午後、厚木市のパチンコ店の立体駐車場で火災があり、3916平方mが焼けました。
　駐車場の車は152台が燃え、消防によりますと、2階に駐車されていたディーゼル車のエンジンの下から火が出たことがわかりました。この車の運転手への聞き取りと、周辺のドライブレコーダーの映像などから、車を停めて15分から30分で火が出たということです。当時は、2階の157台ある駐車スペースに155台が停まっていました。
消防は、自動車に使われている樹脂が燃えたことで周辺の車に燃え広がったと見ています。なお、火が出た直接の原因はわかっていません。

Google Translation:
On the afternoon of the 20th, there was a fire in the multi-story parking lot of a pachinko parlor in Atsugi City, burning 3,916 square meters.
　152 cars in the parking lot were on fire, and firefighters found that the fire broke out from under the engine of a diesel car parked on the second floor. According to interviews with the driver of this car and footage from the drive recorder in the area, the fire broke out 15 to 30 minutes after the car was parked. At that time, 155 cars were parked in the 157 parking spaces on the second floor.
Firefighters believe that the fire spread to nearby cars due to the burning of the resin used in the car. The direct cause of the fire is unknown.

****

Forgot to mention that my car that burnt was a famous German ICE (gasoline/petrol), and that in recent months the same German brand’s diesel cars are being recalled (world-wide) because they are prone to cause fires. However, I realize that cars causing fires are not limited to one brand and not even one manufacturing country. Neither is it limited to ICE vs BEV, while it does seem that BEV fires involving lithium batteries are particularly persistent and nasty.

So weird. Why would a fire start 15 minutes after the car was shut off? You'd think by then it would've cooled down...

 

[Tokion]

So weird. Why would a fire start 15 minutes after the car was shut off? You'd think by then it would've cooled down...

Unfortunately we will only know after the investigation is concluded, and someone conveys the result. These days cars are full of electrical systems, and some of them remain active even after ignitions are turned off. Anything can short-circuit depending on wiring flaws or other electric problems; and in a few cases this can cause wires and other assemblies to heat up and eventually burn resins (that cars are full of).