Submitted by Scott Kenan (not verified) on Tue, 11/27/2012 - 8:20am.
When I first arrived in Wilmington (winter 2011), while walking up Front Street between Market and Princess at the height of a weekend night dating frenzy and the clubs all had lines of people waiting to clear security or cover-chargers, a young man ran up to a late model car being driven southbound by a young woman with three other young women in the car, and while it was stopped due to the traffic crunch in front of Port City Java, dropped something into the vent area right beneath the windshield.
The substance BURNED bright blue unnaturally, and I almost immediately knew it was sodium or one of the other substances that burns when exposed to oxygen. And it fact it acted EXACTLY like sodium does, and after a short time had burned through obstructions, dropped into the engine compartment, eventually setting the car COMPLETELY ablaze after contacting gasoline.
When the Fire Department finally put the fire out -- NO EASY TASK!!! -- I spoke with the inspector and told him what I'd seen. He verified that I was probably right about the substance, or its cateory at least.
Anyway, car fires during DATE NIGHT WILMINGTON can ALSO be a hazard, so if your son or daughter goes out club-hopping on weekend nights, make sure they drive the vehicle you are too embarrassed to try to sell!!!
BEWARE Car Fires in Wilmington -- Sophisticated ARSONISTS Prowl
When I first arrived in Wilmington (winter 2011), while walking up Front Street between Market and Princess at the height of a weekend night dating frenzy and the clubs all had lines of people waiting to clear security or cover-chargers, a young man ran up to a late model car being driven southbound by a young woman with three other young women in the car, and while it was stopped due to the traffic crunch in front of Port City Java, dropped something into the vent area right beneath the windshield.
The substance BURNED bright blue unnaturally, and I almost immediately knew it was sodium or one of the other substances that burns when exposed to oxygen. And it fact it acted EXACTLY like sodium does, and after a short time had burned through obstructions, dropped into the engine compartment, eventually setting the car COMPLETELY ablaze after contacting gasoline.
When the Fire Department finally put the fire out -- NO EASY TASK!!! -- I spoke with the inspector and told him what I'd seen. He verified that I was probably right about the substance, or its cateory at least.
Anyway, car fires during DATE NIGHT WILMINGTON can ALSO be a hazard, so if your son or daughter goes out club-hopping on weekend nights, make sure they drive the vehicle you are too embarrassed to try to sell!!!