Family home on fire after electric car explodes into flames on the driveway

Firefighters had to rush to a family home after an electric car reportedly exploded and set fire to the residence.

The incident took place on a quiet street in Liverpool, UK, when Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service received reports to say a car was engulfed in flames at 9:57pm local time on 23 September.

Firefighters rushed to the scene and found the car and the garage of the two-storey house on fire.

A witness told local news he was in bed when he heard a 'popping noise' coming from the direction of the home.

"It sounded like fireworks going off," he said. "I went outside with my mum and there were bright lights with a car up in flames over the road. The owner was in the house when it happened but got out."

The man claimed to have been told by the owner of the car that it was only a month old, and had driven just 1,000 miles.

"She told me... the car battery malfunctioned," he said.

The car is believed to have been an electric vehicle, though the report about the car battery has not been confirmed by the fire service.

Liverpool Echo

Another witness added: "I heard tyres popping and people came out to see what was going on. Someone started screaming and people rushed out to help.

“I saw it happen and it looked like the fire was coming from where they charge the car. The whole thing was up in flames by the end. It was so scary and my little girl was screaming because she thought something had happened to our house.”

Two firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the family home to tackle the blaze, which was successfully extinguished at 10.10pm.

A spokesperson for Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service said: “On arrival, crews found a two-storey detached house with the garage well alight. A car on the drive was also well alight...

“MFRS carried out home fire safety checks on the properties on either side of the property and left the scene at 12.21am.“

Liverpool Echo

Merseyside Police have now confirmed that a joint investigation is underway with Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service to establish the cause of the fire.

News of the fire comes as the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration urged the owners of 3.3 million Hyundai and Kia cars and SUVs in the United States to avoid parking in or near structures because the vehicles could suddenly catch fire regardless of whether they're being driven.

Certain vehicles are the subject of a recall due to the risk of them developing an internal fluid leak in the anti-lock brake module which could result in a short circuit.

This in turn could leading to overheating and, possibly, a fire.

Owners of affected vehicles will be notified by Hyundai and Kia, who are requesting owners bring their vehicle to a dealership to have a fuse in the module replaced.

Kia has urged owners to watch out for burning or melting smells, visible smoke or warning lights in the gauge cluster.

A Hyundai spokesperson has said it is still safe to drive the vehicles in spite of the fault.