Weather was below zero (-20 to -30) for several days before and including January 30, 2004. My 2000 Buick Lesabre custom refused to start two days previous, so on the evening of January 29, I poured a bottle of iso-heet into the gas tank and then plugged the headbolt heater in overnight. The next morning (Jan. 30), I got into the Lesabre to start it to go to work. When I turned the key, I heard a click and then boom! it sounded like something had exploded under the hood on the driver's side. Smoke began rolling out from under the hood. I grabbed my belongings and got out of the car quickly. I was shocked, but not hurt. I heard a noise under the hood like the draft from a fire. I called 911 and stood back about 40 feet from the vehicle. By the time the fire department arrived, there were flames leaping out 5 feet high from the space between the hood and the fender on the driver's side. The fire marshall inspected the damage afterwards. He said that it appeared that a fuel line had ruptured. That is all he said. That does not explain to me what exploded. The battery on a 2000 Lesabre is under the back seat, and it was intact after the fire. The fire fighters had removed the back seat and cut the battery cables, so I saw that it was okay. The whole engine was burned up. The car was a total loss. I lost two days of work making arrangements to buy another car. The insurance company only paid me $10,998 for the loss. I had to pay $2839.56 out of my own pocket to pay off the car loan. (worst of all, I had to go to my brother, a car salesman, and buy a [xxx] Ford! I want my beautiful Lesabre back!) P.S.: although the engine compartment was totally burned up, the firewall performed beautifully. After the fire, I was able to enter the car and remove papers from the glove box that were untouched by the fire or the heat. Except for the soot from the fire fighters' boots and a smoky smell, the passenger compartment was otherwise unharmed. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information

- Moorhead, MN, USA