Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Rick]

An author in Canada has been in touch with the following request for plausible ideas .... does anyone here have any realistic scenarios for a 12 yr-old child believing that they might be the cause of a workshop fire?

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"I'm a children's book author from Canada. I'm currently working on a novel about the 1950's that is loosely based on my great-grandfather. He was a mechanic in a small town. Your website has been very helpful as I look back on photos and the names of cars. Part of the plot involves a fire at the garage. My main character, a 12-year old girl, thinks she might have started it. I'm wondering if you can suggest a reason that a fire might have started during the night?"

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RJ
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[Penman]

Hi
If it is set in the winter she might have been asked, and then forgot, to turn off an electric fire that was too close for comfort to, say, a wooden desk

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Bristols should always come in pairs.

Any 2 from:-
Straight 6
V8 V10

[ukdave2002]

"Hi Dad, sorry about your garage and your prized cars, but given how much you praise your battery charger, I just assumed it would charge my Ipad without a problem ! .............anyway mum says the insurance will pay for a new kitchen and that the XK120 had a tiny boot compared to her Focus, by the way I'm playing Netball on Sunday, are you ok to drive me to Carlisle its only 150 miles each way , and I know you love watching us play......."

[Penman]

Hi Mike
You've introduced Time Travel into the story, with the Focus.
_________________
Bristols should always come in pairs.

Any 2 from:-
Straight 6
V8 V10

[lowdrag]

She plugged in the battery charger, not realising it was a chinese knock off one . But seriously, Penman's answer is a good one. The only answer really has to be gas or electric based.

[roverdriver]

Perhaps the young lady was cleaning up in the workshop and collected all of the oily and paraffin soaked rags and piled them carefully together. It is a known way to unwittingly start a fire through spontaneous combustion.
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Dane- roverdriver but not a Viking.

[Mog]

Could have been a paraffin [ kero ] heater ?

[mikeC]

I would go along with the electric fire idea; perhaps it had a known fault - loose connection? - and she was told to unplug it before leaving the garage ... but forgot?
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in the garage: 1938 Talbot Ten Airline
Recently departed: 1953 Lancia Appia, 1931 Austin Seven, 1967 Singer Chamois, 1914 Saxon, 1930 Morris Cowley, 1936 BSA Scout, 1958 Lancia Appia coupe, 1922 Star 11.9 ... the list goes on!

[Minxy]

Back in the day( before my time) I think I’m correct in saying that in particularly cold weather people often had little paraffin (kerosene) heater they put under the sump to warm the engine/thin the oil to make starting easier.
My scenario would be young girl putting said heater under car but near a fuel pipe or not realising there was a fuel leak.
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Hillman minx convertible. Lanchester LD 10

[Inglewood]

How about a linseed oil soaked rag, it is a known cause of fires occurring from spontaneous combustion.

Imagine the young lass had been playing in the workshop and spilled a bottle/can of linseed oil. She wipes up the spillage and innocently discards the rags used. The rags ultimately set alight sometime later.


Wiki reports:

'Rags soaked with linseed oil stored in a pile are considered a fire hazard because they provide a large surface area for rapid oxidation of the oil. The oxidation of linseed oil is an exothermic reaction, which accelerates as the temperature of the rags increases. When heat accumulation exceeds the rate of heat dissipation into the environment, the temperature increases and may eventually become hot enough to make the rags spontaneously combust'.

[roverdriver]

Thanks Inglewood. I could not remember which, of the many oils that can spontaneously combust, was the most likely to be able to be used as the culprit. Linseed oil is used for many things apart from cricket bats, and a few pints in a workshop would be quite a normal occurrence.

The author might find that a very useful conflagration commencer.
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Dane- roverdriver but not a Viking.

[47Jag]

The sump heater scenario actually happened to a 105e Anglia that was towed into the garage I worked at in '64. Apparently they were notorious for flaring up if exposed to a draught.

Art

[alastairq]

Most 12 year olds [when I was 12 years old, anyway]....used to try to sneak off somewhere quiet for a quick ciggy [Fag? But must remember we have members over the pond!]......no reason why a 12 year old lass wouldn't do the same?

Theen I remembered, this is a children's book...or is it?
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Dellow Mk2, 1951 built, reg 1952.
Fiat 126 BIS
Cannon special [1996 registered. Built in 1950's]
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Ford Pop chassis, Ashley 1172 bodyshell, in pieces.

[Mog]

I thought the sump heaters were very safe ???

[Rick]

Thanks for all the contributions so far, the author has being going through the above list so hopefully will be able to use one (or more) of the suggestions given.

RJ
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Rick - Admin
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