Faulty engine sparked Plymouth apartment blaze

A Plymouth apartment fire that caused $3 million in damage has been linked to a fire-prone vehicle, subject to a recent recall.

By LORA PABST and PAUL WALSH, Star Tribune staff writers

Last update: May 19, 2009 - 11:26 PM

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A General Motors car that was part of a significant federal recall alerting owners to engine compartment fires caused a major apartment building fire in Plymouth last week, according to authorities.

Representatives of several Twin Cities metro area auto dealerships said Tuesday that the recall, which recently was expanded, has prompted a flurry of calls to their service departments.

The May 11 blaze in a four-car garage at the Parkers Lake Apartments caused about $3 million in damage, according to the Plymouth Fire Department. No one was injured in the fire in the three-story, 24-unit building, which drew 50 firefighters and 16 trucks from at least six communities.

Investigators say the fire in the 15000 block of 18th Avenue started in a 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP in the garage and that it was "unintentional, with the failure of equipment in the vehicle."

Owners of vehicles that were recently added to the recall should be getting a letter soon about what to do.

One Grand Prix owner from St. Paul said she wishes she would have had a warning before her car exploded into flames two years ago.

Toni Johnson was in a restaurant in February 2007 when someone yelled that there was a car on fire in the parking lot. A nearby police officer quickly put out the fire. "I could see a lot of smoke and flames coming out of my hood," she said. "Good thing it happened while it was out in the open."

About a year later, in March 2008, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued the first recall, covering about 207,000 Buick Regals and Pontiac Grand Prix for the model years 1997 through 2003. In particular, models that have 3.8-litre, supercharged V-6 engines.

Notices were sent to owners of the 1997-2000 models on April 28, 2008, warning against parking the vehicles in a garage or other enclosed area.

"I thought, 'Oh great, now I get a letter after I've had the engine fire,'" said Johnson, who is still driving her 2001 Grand Prix GTP after having it repaired.

Last month, GM expanded the recall to cover other makes and models in that same span of years, bringing the total number of vehicles affected to nearly 1.5 million. The vehicles in the expanded recall include the Chevrolet Impala from model years 2000-2003, the Chevrolet Lumina from 1998-1999, the Chevrolet Monte Carlo from 1998-2003 and the Oldsmobile Intrigue from 1998-1999, all with 3.8-litre V-6 naturally aspirated engines.

The Brookdale Luther Pontiac dealership in Brooklyn Center has been flooded with inquiries from vehicle owners who've gotten recall letters.

"We're getting just a boatload of calls," said customer care representative John Buck. He estimated Tuesday that the calls are coming in at a rate of 15 to 20 a day, more than any recall he has ever handled.

"Some of these vehicles have a condition in which drops of engine oil may be deposited on the exhaust manifold through hard braking," according to the first recall, which said the oil could ignite into a small flame under the right conditions.

State records show that the car that caught fire belonged to Luke Mellesmoen, 25. On the night of the fire, Mellesmoen told KSTP-TV that he came home about 7 p.m. and soon afterward, his girlfriend said she smelled smoke.

Nationally, NHTSA heard from consumers who reported that the fires began five to 15 minutes after "the vehicle was parked and the ignition switched off.''

For more information about this recall, contact NHTSA at 1-888-327-4236 or visit www.safercar.gov.

lpabst@startribune.com • 612-673-4628 pwalsh@startribune.com • 612-673-4482

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