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Parking your vehicle on leaves
By Ex-Chief Pierre Gauthier
October 13, 2023
Many people rake their leaves into piles onto the street, where the city municipalities collect them. Some might think that it’s OK to park their car on a pile of leaves or drive over them. However, you shouldn’t do this, for it can result in your vehicle catching on fire.
A car’s engine and exhaust system can get quite hot, and it can take 10 minutes for it to cool down. When you combine that with leaves, particularly if they are dry, then you have a recipe for a dangerous fire. There’s an even greater risk if the engine is overheated or has other mechanical problems, such as spark plug misfires.
An exhaust system typically has an average temperate of 400 degrees Fahrenheit, but a spark plug misfire can raise the temperature to 800 degrees. As detailed by the Washington Post, a pile of dry leaves can catch fire at temperatures as low as 575 degrees.
