A University employee’s vehicle caught fire outside the Knight Law Center around 3 p.m. Friday, totaling one car and causing minor damage to another vehicle, but inflicting no injuries. The fire was likely the result of a ruptured fuel line, according to the Eugene Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department.
University International Programs employee Eileen Cole had just wrapped up her workday and started her car to head home when she paused to plan the remainder of her day, she said. She sat in the car, parked on Agate Street, with the engine running for two minutes or less when she began to smell gas, she said.
“I opened the door to get out and see what was going on, and suddenly I heard a pop and felt a flash of heat on my feet,” Cole said.
She turned off the vehicle to stop the flow of gas, then ran to safety when she saw flames spitting from beneath her car, she said.
Firefighters spent about 20 minutes hosing down flames, prying open the hood, smashing the windshield and chopping through the inner compartment of Cole’s 1993 Chrysler LeBaron to contain the majority of the fire. A few stubborn smoldering spots took longer to control, but were mostly contained within the hour.
Colleen Jones, a nurse practitioner at the University Health Center, came upon the fire while taking a walk. Her Subaru Forrester was parked behind Cole’s vehicle. She said her only reaction at that moment was “surprise,” and her car was not badly damaged. The fire left a long black line on the rear bumper.
Ernie Connelly, a Eugene fire captain at a station about a block away, said the fire was fueled by gas pumping through a ruptured line, which could have resulted from normal wear and tear or from product defects. Such fires are fairly common, he said, but the risk of explosion is low.
“These fires can cause several explosions, in the tires or in the shock absorbers,” Connelly said, “but nothing like the Hollywood stuff.”

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