The Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey announced on January 31, 2019, that their Terminal C parking garage would be closed due to several cars catching on fire in the garage.  The fire occurred on the rooftop of the Terminal C parking garage at around 7 A.M., and Level 1 Arrivals has been closed as a consequence.  There was a total of 17 cars that caught fire in the Newark Airport parking, and it started from one specific car that spread the fire to the remaining. 

The owner of that vehicle was arrested.  His arrest was not related to the vehicle fires, but rather to outstanding traffic warrants out in his name and a suspended driver’s license.  Luckily, it did not occur in the Newark Airport long term parking, and no one was hurt. 170 firefighting personnel responded to the five-alarm scene.

Newark Airport sees approximately 43 million passengers each year, coming in right below JFK International Airport, which sees nearly 60 million passengers each year.  The EWR Airport is the largest New Jersey airport in Newark. 

What to Do If Your Car Catches Fire

If you ever find yourself in a situation where your car catches fire, it’s important to know exactly what to do in order to ensure both you and those around you on the road remain safe.  There are many factors that contribute to what causes a car to catch on fire, with the most common being a short circuit in the wiring that overheats a component and eventually causes it to catch fire.

Always pull to the side of the road and shut off the engine if you notice that smoke or flames are coming from your vehicle.  Shutting off the engine will stop the flow of fuel, which can prevent large fires or even an explosion to occur.  Once you and your passengers (if any) have made it to the side of the road, move away from the vehicle and stand in a safe place away from traffic.  You should try and stand at least 150 feet minimum away from the vehicle.

Do not attempt to put out the fire yourself.  If you see flames coming from your vehicle, do not try to extinguish it.  Call 9-1-1 and wait for the appropriate fire team to arrive.  If you notice smoke coming from your vehicle with no flames, do not open the hood all the way.  By opening the hood, you may expose internal components currently smoking to more oxygen, which could result in a large fire growing.  Oxygen causes flames to ignite and grow. 

If you do have a fire extinguisher, use it from a few feet away with the hood cracked open slightly.  You should only use a fire extinguisher yourself if you see no flames and only smoke coming from the vehicle.  If you do see flames, do not attempt to use an extinguisher yourself and wait for firefighting personnel to arrive with the proper equipment.