Driver narrowly escapes as Vauxhall Zafira bursts into flames in Bromley

The Vauxhall Zafira was engulfed in flames
Damian Fisher
Hatty Collier9 June 2016

This was the scene when a Vauxhall Zafira burst into flames moments after the owner had stepped out of the car in south-east London.

Damian Fisher, 43, was driving in Bromley, when he noticed smoke coming from an air vent next to the dashboard.

He stopped the car, got out, and was inspecting the vehicle when the car suddenly became engulfed in a fireball.

Mr Fisher later arrived home to find he had received a letter from Vauxhall telling him his car was being recalled incase it caught fire.

Describing his reaction to the blaze, he said: "I went into hysterics. The fire brigade turned up and said I was in shock so they got me some oxygen.

Firefighters at the scene
Damian Fisher

"To make matters worse when I got home there was a letter on my doorstep from Vauxhall recalling the car because it might catch fire."

Figures released last month by London Fire Brigade (LFB) show it has attended 120 Zafira fires since 2013, including 14 this year.

The damage to the car
Damian Fisher

Vauxhall took the decision despite a first recall last December to correct the issue, which the manufacturer said was caused by improper repairs to the people carrier's blower motor resistor.

Described by the car maker as "preventative action", the latest recall will involve "improving the overall robustness of the system”.

Mr Fisher, a driver manager at rail firm Southeastern, called for Vauxhall to speed up the work after the letter that he received on Tuesday said the recall would begin in August.

Inside the burnt out car
Damian Fisher

"They need to be doing this now,” he added.

"I've got two big dogs, that's why I've got the car. They're normally in the back. I wouldn't have got them out [in time] if they'd been in the car.

“"I've got a three-year-old granddaughter who's sometimes in the car too."

Announcing the latest recall in May, a Vauxhall spokesman said: "While the current action achieves the objective of returning vehicles to their original condition, after extensive investigations we have decided to go further and improve the overall robustness of the system.

"We will therefore be initiating a second recall to replace the current soldered fuse resistor with a wax fuse resistor so reducing the opportunity for manipulation.

"When the recalls are complete, all vehicles will have a new wax fuse resistor, a new blower motor and a new moulding at the base of the windscreen to address water ingress."

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