[Titanic]

Exclusive: Chevrolet Volt unofficially cleared in Connecticut garage fire
GM-Volt
Jeff Cobb
May 18, 2011

After flames of rhetoric alleging the Chevrolet Volt might have caused a Connecticut garage fire last month, the case has basically fizzled from the media’s attention, but yesterday the local fire marshal in charge said the Volt was cleared of suspicion in his mind.

“It wasn’t the cars,” Barkhamsted Fire Marshal William Baldwin told GM-Volt.com regarding the cause of a fire at the Barkhamsted residence of Dee and Storm Connors.

Officially the fire marshal’s report still states the cause was “inconclusive,” but as the local fire official responsible for the investigation – among other investigators – Baldwin’s view yesterday was at least conclusive about the big question surrounding the Volt.

So, we asked, what was the cause? Could it have been the garage wiring or some other incendiary source?

He said yes it could have been, but he does not believe it was the fault of the Chevrolet Volt or a home-converted Suzuki Samurai EV that was also in the garage at the time of the fire.

According to Storm Connors, the owner of the house and the EVs in question, his garage had a number of flammable items laying around. This is what he wrote on his blog April 20:

Ya gotta love the media and the public’s perceptions. Tis true that the Volt was suspected of causing the fire. So was the Suzuki, the electrical wiring, candles, discarded ashes, oily rags and any other possible ignition source. We have been reviewed by the Fire marshal, the state fire marshal, the CT State Police forensics group, the National auto safety board, 5 engineers from GM; all of whom seem pretty sure that the Volt did not cause the fire. A state electrical investigator spent 4 hours examining the wiring to the Suzuki charger and gave it a clean bill of health.

Baldwin further told us that GM’s people came and retrieved the cars, and they are still analyzing the burned vehicles.

“They took the cars,” he said, “it’s done.”


Full article at the link

 

[solman98]

Pretty much as I figured. I'm still betting the wiring in the garage though.

 

[DarkKnight67]

If it had been a Prius in that garage, they would've still blamed the Volt.

I'm pleased to see that the cars were cleared of blame, but still would like to know what could cause such an unexpected event.

 

[prowlerjc]

I bet the culprit was a disgruntled Leaf owner.

 

[Aromanances]

Wonder why suspicion went to the volt first? Why not the Rube Goldberg Suzuki???

 

[telo]

Wonder why suspicion went to the volt first? Why not the Rube Goldberg Suzuki???

Ha! Exactly.

 

[AuraXE07]

Wonder why suspicion went to the volt first? Why not the Rube Goldberg Suzuki???

The media will try and find any way to burn GM at the stakes.

 

[V8GMT360 Guy]

Wonder why suspicion went to the volt first? Why not the Rube Goldberg Suzuki???

Agreed... I'd be far more suspicious of a vehicle that got a home hackjob than the Volt.

Of course, we all know the media loves a chance to attack "Government Motors" as some still like to call them, so of course that's going to get first blame.

 

[CaptainDan]

I bet the culprit was a disgruntled Leaf owner.

It was Colonel Mustard, in the garage, with a flame thrower.

 

[emh]

Agreed... I'd be far more suspicious of a vehicle that got a home hackjob than the Volt.

Gotta agree. The reason is probably that a home-converted EV being suspected of a fire is not likely to generate the same amount of viewer/reader interest. After all, likelihood of mass interest (and preferably hysteria) seems to be the primary metric of how and what gets spun... er, I mean reported, in the media (newsworthiness and accuracy be damned!)

 

[Aromanances]

Would the media do something like that???? Dosent the media always dig deep for the truth and report it accurately without bias and personal views inserted, to promote a desired outcome???? Please tell me that dose not happen....

 

[AMcA]

Guys, it was a GM product. Remember, the Evil Empire? How could anything else have caused the fire? C'mon, get real.

I mean, home-made electrics are made by good people, not evil corporations. No way the Suzuki could have caused it.

 

[bone]

The Volt would not have been released to GM if authorities thought it was responsible for the fire. Transperency is all-important in any type of investigation.

 

[b4z]

Let's face it. An oily rag is just not as sexy as a Volt. Sex sells newspapers and local TV news.

 

[zinner]

Um the volt is an electric car with a boat load of Lion battery's. It's not crazy to think those could of caused a fire. Look at all the laptop battery recalls. Not to mention all the other brand new electrical systems. New cars have unforeseen problems.

 

[FenwickHockey65]

Um the volt is an electric car with a boat load of Lion battery's. It's not crazy to think those could of caused a fire. Look at all the laptop battery recalls. Not to mention all the other brand new electrical systems. New cars have unforeseen problems.

When you have a car that was awarded the "Best Engineered Car" award by the SAE for 2011 sitting next to a homebuilt EV in an ancient garage, the Volt would be the least suspicious culprit to the fire.

 

[sepi]

Let's just keep this investigation open. We know Government Motors' engineering department is weak these days. They spent four years with the Shamaro and still couldn't get it right when it was launched - things that should have been detected during shakedown were discovered in production.

 

[ByTheLake]

It was Colonel Mustard, in the garage, with a flame thrower.

That's my vote.

 

[Syclone478]

When you have a car that was awarded the "Best Engineered Car" award by the SAE for 2011 sitting next to a homebuilt EV in an ancient garage, the Volt would be the least suspicious culprit to the fire.

Exactly. Reason is the first thing to go for some people when posed with a sensational mystery.

Then again, if it were a Leaf involved we would have probably read harrowing accounts of how the Nissan was believed to have been fighting the Great Fire with valiant effort only to tragically succumb to the flames and perish as a result of its selfless struggle to save the owner’s possessions... but not before rescuing all the puppies.

 

[mike c]

If it had been a Prius in that garage, they would've still blamed the Volt.



I'm pleased to see that the cars were cleared of blame, but still would like to know what could cause such an unexpected event.

:rotf: Now that is funny right there.