Vintage Muscle Car Explodes, Sparking Novato House Fire

A Novato hillside and house caught fire last weekend when the engine of a vintage car exploded, fire officials reported Monday.

Firefighters say they extinguished the two-alarm fire in Novato that started when the owner of a Chevrolet Nova started his car around 4:47 p.m. Saturday in the 700 block of Cherry Street.

“The occupant of the home was attempting to start a vintage car in his garage when the engine compartment exploded and spread fire to the garage,” fire officials said. ”The owner escaped without injuries and immediately dialed 911.”

That owner had apparently been working on the car inside the garage when he started it and smelled a chemical odor, fire officials said. He shut the car off. When he started it again the engine exploded and caught fire, according to fire officials.

The fire in the garage spread to a hillside and burned half an acre before firefighters extinguished it, according to fire officials.

Firefighters were able to keep the blaze spreading to the adjacent home, which was only two feet from the garage, according to fire officials. Firefighters had the fire under control at 5:12 p.m. and limited the damage to about $100,000.

– Bay City News Service contributed to this event.  Photo credit: Novato Fire Protection District.