Man Working on Corvette Sets House and Cars on Fire

Oregon Man Suffers Severe Burns, Torches House While Working on Corvette’s Fuel System

Friends, please keep this in mind. Saving a few bucks on those do-it-yourself Corvette projects isn’t always worth the risk.

It’s a bit of advice we’ve offered on a number of occasions. And we’re reminded of it once more, following a recent OregonLive report. Apparently a man suffered severe burns while working on the fuel system of a Corvette. He was working in the garage beneath a home in Oregon.

In all honesty, we really don’t know if the man was a certified car technician or not. But there clearly seems to be some safety precautions that were avoided while doing the work. According to the report, the fire started in the garage. It then spread to two bedrooms above the area where he was working on the Corvette.

CHECK OUT: What Forum Members Are Saying About This Cautionary Tale

After the Fire Department put out the one-alarm fire, the man was taken to the Legacy Oregon Burn Center. No word on the man’s current condition. But the Corvette he was working on was completely destroyed, as well as a second Corvette and a Chevy SUV that were also in the garage.

All and all, the cost of the damage to the three cars and the house is estimated at $125,000. Of course, the bigger damage here is the man’s severe burns. It’s an unfortunate reminder to us all of the dangers associated with working on a car at home, even when you think it’s safe.

We also imagine there’d probably be a few expert car technicians that would strongly advise against doing any type of work on or near a vehicle’s fuel tank. Particularly at home, given the extreme dangers associated with the car potentially catching on fire.