House fire destroys $500,000 worth of exotic cars

Firefighters arrived at Willowridge Court in Oakville, Ontario late on September 5 to find a garage engulfed in flames. Inside were multiple vehicles. At least two were “completely destroyed,” and damage is estimated at more than $500,000. It appears that some very special cars, including a Lamborghini Murcielago and an R32 Nissan Skyline, survived.

The fire started around 10:30 p.m. and appears to have damaged a Toyota MR2 that was on a car lift. A yellow Ferrari was underneath. Another Ferrari, a BMW 4-series, a Lamborghini Murcielago, an R32 Nissan Skyline and a Toyota Supra all appear to have sustained major damage.

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According to CHCH, police do not believe there was foul play. Firefighters say it could have started with a faulty fuse box or even a battery in the garage. There are no clear indications as to what the firefighters meant, but it seems unlikely that the battery explanation includes an electric vehicle. They are notoriously difficult to extinguish and it would be reasonable for the fire department to mention that if that was the case.

In January, a house fire involving a Volvo hybrid and a Tesla caused significant damage and posed a “significant challenge,” according to the fire department. The batteries can often experience thermal runaway, continuing to burn until there is sufficient means to cool them to stop the chain reaction.

In the case of the exotic sports car home, it appears that the damage was almost exclusively on one side of the garage and did not have enough time to spread before authorities extinguished the fire. Most importantly, everyone in each of the homes mentioned, including pets, escaped without serious injury.

Image credit: CHCH