5 vehicles damaged at Lafayette BART parking lot

LAFAYETTE, Calif. (KGO) -- Some people returning from work to the Lafayette BART Station found their cars scorched. The fire started under the hood of a Lexus and spread, damaging five cars.

"I can imagine these people are not going to be happy. What a shock to come home from work and find this," BART rider Christine Kolm said.

At least three of the cars were totaled. Firefighters were called around 2 p.m. on Wednesday to the upper Lafayette BART parking lot. Most of them are luxury vehicles, such as a BMW, Acura and Audi.

"The fires can burn very intensely because of the amount of plastics and petroleum products. The gas and the oil and the engine," Contra Costa County Fire Capt. George Laing.

Todd Lloyd's SUV was also damaged. He said, "It melted some of the plastic on the mirror and the running boards."

BART riders who parked in the same lot were both stunned and relieved finding their cars untouched.

"It's shocking. I can't believe how lucky I am. I am two cars, three cars away," said one BART rider.

Laing says they can only speculate what triggered the fire. He said, "All vehicles have pressurized fuel systems even when the vehicle is off and if there's any electrical short or ignition potential anywhere inside the engine and the fuel hits it, then it's off to the races."

Nobody was hurt.

Among the broken glass and burned engine was a mug left on the driver's seat of the Lexus with an encouraging message. It said, "Always believe that something wonderful is going to happen."