Battery Fire Claims A Classic Mazda RX-7

Usually, when we cover a battery fire in a car, it’s a modern EV, not a classic Mazda RX-7. But just such a thing happened recently in Lancaster, Pennsylvania for a reason you probably wouldn’t guess. And no, the vehicle hadn’t been converted to an all-electric powertrain, otherwise it burning would’ve been a blessing in disguise.

This is why you should put your keys in a Faraday cage.

Instead, the owner of the 1982 Mazda RX-7 had that lithium-ion battery in the cargo area hooked up to a trickle charger. The rotary-powered car was sitting in the attached garage one evening when the wife smelled smoke in the kitchen. Once she opened the garage door, smoke flooded into the house and she called 911.

Once the husband knew about the danger, he disconnected the trickle charger to the battery and with his wife’s help pushed the vehicle out of the garage. That’s the smart move if you have a car fire in a structure.

Before firefighters arrived, husband expended two dry fire extinguishes on the cargo area of the RX-7 where he installed what looks like a kicking sound system. The battery was to help power all that equipment.

While the guy was able to knock down the flames himself, firefighters kept pouring water on the Mazda because the trunk continued to smolder. They finally started pulling the sound system apart, realizing the battery was still burning.

Since the classic isn’t an EV, firefighters could just remove the battery and cool it off away from the car, which they did. However, a hazmat team still had to respond, showing that even little battery fires are a big deal.

According to Lancaster Township Fire Department, the owner of the Mazda was understandably upset. The guy had been restoring the RX-7 for over 17 years and this was the second fire. We’ve known other people who had classic RX-7s like this catch fire, so that really makes us wonder.

Also, we hope this guy is able to salvage the vehicle he obviously loves and get it show-ready again.

Images via Lancaster Township Fire Department/Facebook