Rise In Vehicle Fires On Brunei Roads
By Za'im Zaini

Bandar Seri Begawan - The past couple of weeks have seen a spate of incidents in which vehicles were engulfed in flames.

Only last Tuesday, an accident involving a truck and a car resulted in the car being engulfed in flames.

Another truck and another saloon car also caught fire last week in separate incidents, both reportedly due to short circuit in the engine compartment.

Such incidents are not a familiar sight in the Sultanate. According to statistics from the Fire and Rescue Department, the number of emergency calls received on fires involving vehicles from January to September 2006 was 34, causing two deaths and two injuries. In the previous year (January to December), the Department received 70 vehicle fire calls, with one death and one injury. The cost of damage so far this year is estimated at B$162,600 marking a dramatic rise from last year's total of $126,085.

The Bulletin made an attempt to explore the possible reasons behind these incidents.

Mr Lim, who works in a vehicle workshop in the Gadong area, in an interview with the Bulletin said that there are usually several possibilities to consider such situations.

The first would be "mechanical", where significant engine oil or coolant loss causes the engine to overheat to the point where motor oil, fuel, or other flammable material under the hood catches fire.

"Low oil or coolant levels can often lead to such event," said Mr Lim. "It is important to check the fluid level of the vehicle. When sudden loss of fluids occurs, it is usually a result of catastrophic failure of some component in the vehicle."

Another fairly common cause of car fires is "failure of an electrical component or wiring", where a short circuit occurs, causing the component or wiring to heat up to the point where combustion can begin.

With locals now more into customising their cars such as by putting in more audio visual accessories, some short circuits could occur especially if the customisation is not done properly by trained technicians.

Another possible reason could be the accumulation of flammable material under the hood, which could arise when vehicles are parked under trees where leaves or other debris accumulate inside the engine compartment. Exhaust manifolds are hot enough to start fires in such circumstances, said Mr Lim.

Asst Supt Pg Roslan Pg Hj Halus, the Head of Investigation Unit of the Fire and Rescue Department said that vehicle fires usually happen due to the individual's "lack of maintenance, poor servicing or inspection of the car". He advised motorists to check their vehicles before starting their journey.  -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

Click Here To Have Your Say On This Story

Brudirect.com News

Brunei's Fastest Growing Website with