NHTSA Complaint #10153275 — 1998 LINCOLN NAVIGATOR

WOKE AT 4:00AM TO THE SMOKE AND FIRE OF OUR VEHICLE FULLY ENGULFED IN FLAMES FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS LOCATED IN OUR DRIVEWAY. IT WAS PARKED AT ABOUT 9:50AM THE DAY BEFORE..ROUGHLY ABOUT 18 HOURS BEFORE IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. MY WIFE AND MOTHER IN LAW GOT OUR THREE KIDS OUT INTO THE BACK YARD. TWO OF THE KIDS WERE WITHIN 20-25 FT. OF THE FIRE WHEN THEY WERE SLEEPING. I WENT OUT TO THE GARAGE AND TRIED EXTINGUISHING THE FIRE WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER, BUT WAS UNABLE TO DO ANY GOOD. I THEN HOOKED UP THE WATER HOSE AND BEGAN USING THE HOSE ON BOTH THE CAR AND THE SIDE OF OUR HOUSE WITH MOST OF MY EFFORTS ON KEEPING THE HOUSE WET SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS ONLY ABOUT 8FT FROM THE HOUSE. I GOT HIT IN THE LEG AND CHEST WITH MATERIAL THAT FLEW WHEN ONE OF THE TIRES BLEW OUT. LATER, THE OTHER FRONT TIRE AND WINDSHIELD BLEW. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED, MOSTLY FROM THE FRONT. THE SIDING ON THE HOUSE WAS BUCKLED FROM THE HEAT, AND THE GARAGE DOORS AND CONCRETE BIB AROUND THE DRIVEWAY NEEDED TO BE PRESSURE CLEANED TO REMOVE ALL THE SMOKE RESIDUE. OUR INSURANCE COMPANY TOOK THE TRUCK ON A FLATBED AND DECLARED IT A FULL LOSS. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TOLD ME THAT HAD I NOT STUCK IT OUT AND RISKED MY LIFE KEEPING WATER ON BOTH THE HOUSE AND THE VEHICLE THAT THE HOUSE WOULD HAVE DEFINITELY CAUGHT ON FIRE, ALTHOUGH I WAS TOLD THAT I SHOULDN'T HAVE TAKEN THE CHANCE. *NM