NHTSA Complaint #10133707 — 2000 CHEVROLET CAVALIER

2 CAR VEHICLE COLLISION-SEE POLICE REPORT. ON THE ABOVE DATE AND TIME, THE BETHEL FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS DISPATCHED TO THE INTERSECTION OF RESERVOIR ST AND GRASSY PLAIN STREET FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT. UPON ARRIVAL A TWO CAR MVA WAS DISCOVERED WITH A SMALL VEHICLE FIRE EXTINGUISHED BY THE BETHEL PD. BETHEL CAR ONE, PETE HOLMBERG, REQUESTED THIS FIRE MARSHAL DUE TO THE FIRE DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. UPON MY EXAMINATION OF THE VEHICLE, I OBSERVED THE FRONT END OF THE INVOLVED VEHICLE WITH MODERATE FRONT-END DAMAGE. THE RIGHT FRONT HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY AREA DID SUSTAIN SOME MELTING AND BURNING TO THE REAR OF THE UNIT. THE LEFT FRONT HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY WAS FOUND ON THE GROUND AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE. THE BULBS FOR EACH UNIT WERE CONNECTED TO THE WIRING/SOCKET AREA. THE IMPACT OF THE COLLISION CAUSED THE PLASTIC HOUSING AROUND THE BULB TO BREAK AND DISLODGE THE BULB FROM THE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY. THE BULBS WERE PART OF THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHT SYSTEM; THEREFORE THEY WERE ON AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE HEAT FROM THE BULB IGNITED THE PLASTIC WIRING HARNESS ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE (SEE PHOTO #7). THE HEAT FROM THE BULB ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE IGNITED THE PLASTIC WIRE HARNESS AS WELL AS THE PLASTIC HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY (SEE PHOTO #5). THE FIRE CAUSED MINIMAL DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE AND THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED WITH A DRY CHEMICAL FIRE EXTINGUISHER. THE CAUSE OF THIS FIRE HAS BEEN RULED ACCIDENTAL CAUSED BY A BREAK IN THE PLASTIC RETENTION CLIP FOR THE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY LOOSENING THE BULB FROM ITS PROPER PLACEMENT AND THEN TOUCHING COMBUSTIBLE MATERIALS AND IGNITING.