Car-flagration

Taking a break momentarily from my own Car Lusting, I wanted to give a brief nod to the New Jersey-area squirrel that destroyed a 2006 Toyota Camry.

According to the news story, a squirrel had been chewing on a power line suspended above the Camry; when the squirrel chewed through the line, the power of the current lit it on fire, and the flaming rodent "slid into the engine compartment and blew up the car." The car was a total loss, but the family honored the squirrel flambe with a plastic tombstone--happily, just in time for Halloween.

This leaves some important questions unanswered. For example:
1. Is there some significance that the squirrel chose a 2006 Toyota Camry to immolate? Was the squirrel imbued with especially strong buy-American leanings? If so, the squirrel should issue a strong apology to the good people in Georgetown, Ky., who make the Camry.

2. How exactly did the flaming squirrel slide into the engine compartment? Was the hood open? Otherwise, I don't want to think about how a half-immolated squirrel might get into the engine compartment.

3. If one squirrel chews on power lines, I'm guessing more do. And if millions of squirrels nationwide are chewing on power lines, I'm guessing this isn't the only one to chew through and light itself on fire.

Is there a national crisis in which flaming squirrels are plummeting from our skies? If so, it's being dramatically underreported by the media. I, for one, am worried.

--Chris H.