Triangle fire officials warn residents: Avoid parking on dry leaves to prevent car fires

Fire officials across the Triangle are urging people to take extra precautions during this dry spell, especially heading into the holidays.

2025-11-17

Over the weekend, a car caught fire in Raleigh after the driver parked on top of a pile of dry leaves. 

Raleigh Fire Department leaders said they are still investigating the exact cause of the fire, but they normally see several cases of leaves sparking a car fire every fall. 

Raleigh resident William Warner saw the aftermath.

“The car was totally engulfed in flames, which was kind of scary to say the least,” he said.

Warner said it’s the first time he’s witnessed something like that.

“It was very alarming to see it in your neighborhood,” he said.

Durham Fire Chief Robert Zoldos said this time of year is critical for fire safety messaging. He’s urging people not to burn outdoors during dry conditions and to be mindful of fire risks in everyday situations.

In November, the department has responded to 11 brush fires, seven vehicle fires, and two freighter transport vehicle fires. Zoldos said several of those vehicle fires started the same way, dry leaves igniting under the heat of a catalytic converter.

“It’s the heat alone that it produces that can go above 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit. So that’s a lot of heat, obviously,” he said. “And if you park it on top of brush, that could require, you know, 570 to 750 degrees to light off, you definitely can start a fire just by the heat of it. Touching that vegetation.”

Zoldos urges people to pay attention to where they park, especially if leaves have piled up.

“It doesn’t take very long for them to dry out, and they’re the perfect tender to start. It [can] start a pretty big fire when you drive hard and fast,” he said.

The Raleigh Fire Department said it’s been a particularly busy fire season for them as well.

Raleigh Fire Department Division Chief Robert Hodge attributes it to a few different factors. 

"We've been dealing with some high winds in certain areas," he said. "Of course, that's going to make fire spread faster. Also, due to recent weather conditions, humidity was down. [We haven't had] rain in a while, so just drier fuel."

Fire officials said the message is simple: practice fire safety and stay alert as conditions remain dry.