It is not something that happens frequently, but from time to time we see or read in the news that one or more cars parked on the street appear burned out. As a general rule, these are acts of vandalism that occur at dawn. But, sometimes, these fires occur accidentally when a car catches fire and spreads the flames to other cars parked on public roads, as happened on Sunday, December 10 in Alicante.
On the last day of a week marked by the Immaculate Bridge, six cars parked on Avenida Cataluña in Alicante were devoured by flames and were completely burned. The events occurred in broad daylight, around 2:00 p.m., when for unknown reasons a car began to burn and spread the flames to five other cars, as can be seen in the following images.
Three fire crews traveled to the place where the events occurred and proceeded to put out the massive fire. The professionals from the Alicante Fire Prevention, Extinction and Rescue Service managed to control the flames through the use of foam, one of the most effective methods for extinguishing fires in flammable and combustible liquids.
The intensity of the fire was such that the flames became visible from various points in the city, forming a dense column of smoke that rose on the horizon. Fortunately, at the time the fire spread there were no people inside the affected vehicles. There were also no injuries reported among the people who were traveling near the damaged cars at that precise moment.
The six cars that succumbed to the flames were completely burned. Faced with this bleak panorama, there is a question that hovers over the minds of those who witnessed this incident and those who were aware of the events: does the insurance of these vehicles cover the damage caused by the fire?
Fire coverage is usually included in car insurance. The contracted policy covers damage caused to the vehicle by fire or explosion, whether caused by a breakdown (accident, fuel leak…), natural cause (lightning strike) or vandalism (if the person responsible is not identified) with the moving or parked car.
Mapfre highlights that fire coverage is governed by the terms established in the policy, and the policyholder must be aware of exclusions that could limit their ability to file claims under this guarantee. In accident situations, the insurer will assume responsibility as long as it occurred without the voluntary intervention of the driver, as is the case of burned-out cars in Alicante.
In this way, it is possible to obtain compensation that is adjusted to the value of the vehicle or, failing that, up to the limit predetermined in the policy in the event that the car is damaged due to a fire. In another circumstance, depending on the damage caused, the insurer could offer the option of carrying out the necessary repairs to the vehicle.
Companies reserve the right not to provide fire cover in specific situations that may be excluded under the terms of the policy. These exclusions may vary, but commonly include damage caused by fuel, mineral essences or other flammable, explosive or toxic materials that may be transported in the vehicle, even if they occurred as a result of an accident covered by the insurance.
Mapfre emphasizes that some elements of the vehicle that are not standard may be outside the car fire coverage according to what is established in the contract. The insurance company gives GPS or sound devices as an example of undeclared accessories.
If the vehicle is completely burned down, as happened in the aforementioned incident in Alicante, the compensation will depend on the age of the car. Until the first two years after the date of registration, the compensation corresponds to the new value.
But starting in the second year, the company offers financial compensation based on the market value of the vehicle. That is, the amount the car would cost if it were put up for sale just before the accident.
