SF Gate: Freak fire traps man inside Audi/Battery failure a possible cause

[Greg]

 Freak fire traps man inside Audi 5000, Battery Failure
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Monday, January 14, 2002 (SF Chronicle)
Freak fire traps man inside Audi/Battery failure a possible cause
Jim Doyle, Michael Taylor, Chronicle Staff Writers


   Redwood City -- A Redwood City man was in critical condition last night at
a San Jose hospital after he was trapped in a bizarre car fire that may
have disabled the automobile's electrical system, preventing him from
unlocking the doors, authorities said.
   The man suffered burns over 50 percent of his body after being trapped in
a 1985 Audi 5000 sedan. Investigators said the fire may have prevented the
driver from operating the sedan's power door locks. Officials said he was
unable to get out of the burning car.
   Firefighters quickly doused the blaze yesterday morning, but they had
difficulty removing and treating the driver.
   The middle-age victim, whom authorities would not identify, was flown by
helicopter to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose, where he was
undergoing intensive care and evaluation.
   Fire investigators suspect that the blaze may have been sparked by a
malfunctioning battery. The battery in that model of Audi is stored
beneath the four-door sedan's rear seat. Electrical cables go from the
battery up to the engine compartment of the car.
   "The battery may have shorted and malfunctioned and started the fire,"
said Battalion Chief Jim Varner of the Redwood City Fire Department. "If
the battery had some kind of failure, that could be a reason for the doors
and windows not working.
   "It's an unusual set of circumstances," Varner said. "We have very few car
fires that are in the passenger compartment. Usually, it's under the hood.
. . . It was also unusual that he was not able to get out and walk away."
   In the mid-1980s, the Audi 5000 was accused by consumer advocates and
government agencies of having a mechanical glitch that caused it to
accelerate suddenly. It was called "unintended acceleration." Even after
the U.S. government exonerated the car and it was found not to have that
problem, Audi's U.S. sales sank, damaged by unfavorable publicity. They
have risen since then, and the marque is well known for its comfort and
speed.
   Yesterday, Audi experts contacted by The Chronicle said they had never
heard of this kind of freak accident -- failure of the car's electrical
system trapping passengers inside a locked car -- and none of the many
stories about Audi's problems in the 1980s mentions the electrical
malfunction.
   At Audi of America in Auburn Hills, Mich., director of marketing Walter
Hanek said, "I'm not aware of such problems."
   The incident involving the Redwood City man took place near the corner of
Marlin Drive and Redwood Shores Parkway, not far from the driver's home in
the Redwood Shores suburban neighborhood. Investigators surmise that he
was heading home when his car burst into flames. He pulled the car over to
the side of the road.
   Neighbors said they spotted the car fire shortly after 10 a.m. and
immediately dialed 911. Three minutes later, when firefighters arrived,
they found the car engulfed in flames and the driver trapped.
   "We had some difficulty getting the driver's door open," Varner said. "The
window was either down or open, but when our guys tried to pull the pin
for the door lock it snapped off. Hydraulic rescue tools were needed to
force the door open."
   In addition to his third-degree burns, the man suffered from smoke
inhalation. "He is in critical condition, and we are still assessing his
condition," a hospital spokesman said last night.

   E-mail the writers at jdoyle at sfchronicle.com and mtaylor at sfchronicle.com
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Copyright 2002 SF Chronicle