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As northern areas face a severe heatwave with temperatures over 44 degrees Celsius, leaving behind perfumes and lighters in the car can be risky.
Perfume bottles can explode in cars during heatwaves.
As temperatures soar past 44 degress Celsius across northern states, the region finds itself in the grip of a punishing heatwave that shows no signs of relenting. With the air heavy, the roads shimmering, and sun-baked cities resembling furnaces, the fear of fire, both literal and metaphorical, is beginning to haunt many. Among the pressing concerns: can a car left baking under the brutal afternoon sun become a fire hazard? Could petrol tanks explode? Could software-loaded modern vehicles falter under the stress of extreme heat?
The phrase “North India is a ball of fire” might sound like hyperbole, but today it feels unnervingly accurate. With temperatures regularly veering dangerously close to 45 degrees Celsius in several cities, residents are witnessing an atmosphere so hostile, it almost seems as though flames are falling from the sky.
Naturally, fears around flammable substances, particularly petrol, are intensifying. Could the intense heat ignite the fuel inside a car’s tank? Could vehicles, when parked under a merciless sun for hours, become potential fireballs?
While petrol is undeniably flammable, fears of spontaneous combustion inside a parked vehicle are largely unfounded. Petrol’s flashpoint, the temperature at which it can vaporise to form an ignitable mixture in air, is relatively low, but its auto-ignition temperature, the point at which it will ignite without an external spark or flame, lies between 250° degrees Celsius and 280 degrees Celsius.
This is far above any temperatures reached inside even the hottest parked vehicles. Studies show that when the ambient temperature is around 40-42 degrees Celsius, the interior of a car parked in direct sunlight can heat up to approximately 60-70 degrees Celsius within an hour, thanks to the greenhouse effect caused by glass trapping solar radiation. Uncomfortable? Certainly. Dangerous? Potentially. But not enough to set petrol ablaze.
Modern vehicles are built with vented petrol tanks that are never fully sealed. These ventilation systems are designed to allow evaporated fuel vapours to escape in a controlled manner, thereby avoiding pressure build-up that could lead to combustion. Additionally, limited oxygen in the tank’s upper space further prevents any real fire hazard.
As a result, a petrol tank left in the sweltering sun, even in extreme conditions, remains remarkably stable. The risk of explosion due solely to heat is close to zero.
Though petrol itself may not spontaneously ignite, several elements inside a car remain vulnerable. In newer, chip-based vehicles, excessive heat can impair sensitive electronic systems and reduce the longevity of dashboard panels and display units. Prolonged sun exposure can also degrade upholstery and affect air conditioning efficiency.
But more critically, it’s the everyday objects we leave behind in our cars, often without a second thought, that pose real danger.
Items like perfumes, lighters, sanitisers and aerosol cans contain volatile chemicals and pressurised gases. In extreme heat, these substances can expand, burst, or even ignite. Perfume bottles, which typically contain alcohol, can become miniature bombs under direct sunlight. Lighters, packed with flammable gases like butane, are even more dangerous – the plastic casing can melt, releasing vapours that might trigger fires or explosions under certain conditions.
Besides mechanical and chemical hazards, the sweltering heat inside vehicles poses a serious health risk to humans and animals. A car parked under the summer sun can turn deadly in less than an hour. Infants, pets, and even adults can suffer heatstroke, dehydration, or worse if left unattended, even briefly.
While cars themselves are unlikely to erupt into flames just from sun exposure, the summer heat should not be underestimated. Do not leave flammable items inside. Consider sunshades, cracked windows, and covered parking. And most importantly, never leave living beings inside a parked vehicle, even for a few minutes.
