Likely cause of car dealership fire determined by Madison Fire Department

VIDEO/PHOTOS: The likely cause of a fire at a Madison car dealership on Sunday has been determined, the Madison Fire Department announced Tuesday. Firefighters noticed smoke around the 2000 block of Fish Hatchery Road around 8 p.m. Sunday. They soon discovered an active fire at a car dealership.

Investigators determined that the fire originated in the trunk of a hybrid car that was plugged in at the time of the fire, MFD said. The charger was an older model. While the exact cause of the fire couldnโ€™t be determined, MFD believes the fire was likely caused by โ€œresistive heating and arcing at a loose or degraded clamp connection at the charging port.โ€ The fire spread before MFD arrived, torching plastic trim and wiring insulation, rags, containers, and the rear compartment materials of the car. While the damage was kept to the auto shopโ€™s workshop bay, the estimated damage cost is around $100,000. No one was injured in the blaze.

WMTV NBC/CW 15 Madison

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