After Colorado garage blaze, fire officials call attention to fire risk with older cars

After a 17-year-old car caught fire in a garage in a Denver suburb, fire officials are warning the public about the risk of electrical fires with older cars, as well as the potential dangers of doing your own mechanical work.

Aurora Fire Rescue responded to a garage fire on Sunday morning near South Flanders Street and East Dartmouth Avenue. Smoke and flames were coming from a family's 2007 Toyota Camry inside the garage.

The family of five -- including four children -- were all safe and unharmed after evacuating from the home and the house itself was not damaged.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze and then investigators began working to determine the cause. By Sunday night, inspectors concluded it was sparked by an electrical malfunction in the car's engine, "likely due to recent repairs attempted by the owner," even though the car hadn't been driven since about two days earlier.

"It is likely that crossed wires caused the battery to overheat and catch fire," Aurora Fire Rescue said in a statement.

Now, AFR officials say that extra care should be taken when people do their own work on cars and that older cars deserve extra scrutiny. Three-quarters of cars involved in highway fires in 2022 involved cars that were 10 to 11 years old, according to the National Fire Protection Association. And in 2017, 77% of all vehicle fires involved cars 10 years old or older.

"Older vehicles pose a higher risk of electrical or mechanical malfunction as parts wear out and maintenance can be overlooked," AFR said.