On the evening of Dec. 15, at approximately 5:50 p.m., a Porsche 924 Turbo caught fire in the intersection of Albert Street and University Avenue.
The car’s owner Cindi Wieg, an administrative assistant in the anthropology and cultural studies department, explained that the fire was caused by an external heater she had purchased from Canadian Tire to offset the car’s poor defrosting.
“All of a sudden the ceramic heater cuts out and I see a little spark,” Wieg explained. “I unplugged it immediately but something must have caught because all of a sudden there was smoke and flames….[I] realized there’s nothing I can do, [the car’s] going to go.”
The car reached the middle of the intersection when Wieg was forced to evacuate, explaining it only took three minutes for the fire to spread through the car.
Onlooking students called the fire department, which used a truck to push the flaming car to she side of the road upon its arrived.
“Its gone,” Wieg commented on the current condition of her car.
She is seeking legal action against Canadian Tire and the manufacturer of the ceramic heater as the insurance company will not cover the damages.
