NHTSA Complaint #11281225 — 2007 TOYOTA CAMRY

WHILE DRIVING MY 2007 CAMRY ON A TOWN HIGHWAY, I SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. SMOKE STARTED TO FILL THE CABIN, AND I SAW A GLOWING FLAME WHERE THE SEAT WARMER BUTTON IS, ON THE CONSOLE. IMMEDIATELY, I TURNED OFF THE SEAT WARMER BUTTON. I LOOKED FOR A PLACE TO PULLOVER, HEARD A LOUD POPPING SOUND, SAW A LARGER FLAME AND BLACK SMOKE FILLED THE CAR. I PULLED OVER TO A SHELL STATION, CALLED 911, AND A MAN WITH FIRE EXTINGUISHER SPRAYED THE NOW CONSIDERABLE FIRE BURNING . THE BATTERY WAS DISCONNECTED AFTER THE FIRE WAS OUT, AND THE DAMAGE TO THE CAR IS NOT REPAIRABLE. A TOW CAR BROUGHT IT HOME. THE FIRE WAS ELECTRICAL WHEN IT STARTED AND THEN ESCALATED QUICKLY. . MY QUESTION IS WHY DID THE FUSE NOT BLOW TO PREVENT THE FIRE? THANK GOD I WAS IN A TOWN NEAR A SERVICE STATION AND NOT ALONE ON AN ISOLATED ROAD. THE FIRE GREW VERY QUICKLY. THIS JUST HAPPENED THIS EVENING ON 11/19/19. IT WAS A DEFINITE SAFETY ISSUE, AND IT WAS PRETTY FRIGHTENING HOW QUICKLY THE FIRE ESCALATED. I AM GOING TO CONTACT TOYOTA ABOUT THIS MALFUNCTION AS WELL. THE CASE # BY THE ST. JAMES PARISH SHERIFFF'S OFFICE IS SJP19002613. I CALLED 911 AND 4 POLICE CARS AND FIRE TRUCK WERE DEPLOYED AND CAME TO THE SCENE.