Car Sets Leaves on Fire

A South Jersey family narrowly escaped a fire at their townhouse Thursday morning and fire officials said leaves on the ground were what ignited the blaze.

Just before 9am, crews fought flames at the Lakefield Apartments in Gloucester City. Two people were inside the unit when the fire began.

Although they did escape from the fire, the family is uninsured. They lost their home, their belongings and their car.

Fire Marshal Jim Price said that the family unknowingly started the fire themselves.

After seven days with no rain, the fallen leaves have become very dry.

"We believe right now that the fire started after the car was parked on top of these leaves," Price said.

Every fall, Price said, his fire crews are called to leaf fires and unaware car drivers mistakenly spark most of those fires.

In a lot of newer cars, the catalytic converter heats up to well over 1500 degrees. When you put that right on top of leaves, it can catch the leaves on fire and the leave can spread the fire quickly.

The man who lived in the home had recently had a kidney transplant and all of his prescriptions were lost in the fire.

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