# Battery on fire

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-on-fire/14145>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [May 17, 2008, 9:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-on-fire/14145 "2008-05-17T21:49:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![tennessee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dbc845/32.png) [@tennessee](https://community.cartalk.com/u/tennessee)\
**Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 9:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-on-fire/14145/1 "2008-05-17T21:49:11Z")

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After a 5 minute drive, my 2000 Lexus(recently purchased) car stopped/ battery was flaming/cables were fried. I put the fire out(extinguisher from near-by store). Some say the “battery shorted out” is this true/possible?

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**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\
**Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 10:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-on-fire/14145/2 "2008-05-17T22:13:23Z")

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It could have shorted out internally, or it could have been overcharged by a bad alternator, which would cause hydrogen gas to be generated and any old spark could have triggered it.

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**Author:** ![SteveF](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/stevef/32/2_2.png) [@SteveF](https://community.cartalk.com/u/SteveF)\
**Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 10:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-on-fire/14145/3 "2008-05-17T22:30:49Z")

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The short is much more likely than hydrogen igniting. Any accumulation of hydrogen would simply go poof! and leave no further damage. But a short circuit, entirely possible, would turn cables red hot and then they can ignite nearby plastic. A careful inspection might determine the cause of the short.

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**Author:** ![pleasedodgevan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/51bf81/32.png) [@pleasedodgevan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pleasedodgevan)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 4:25am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-on-fire/14145/4 "2008-05-18T04:25:26Z")

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Loose battery terminals can cause a fire too. Most times they won’t but it has happened. I’ve only caught a few that were smoking.