Electric Malfunction Blamed for Massachusetts Dealership Fire

Investigators say a fire that destroyed 19 luxury vehicles at a Sudbury, Mass., auto dealership was most likely due to a mechanical malfunction in a vehicle, but the exact nature of the malfunction remains undetermined.

The state Fire Marshal and Sudbury’s fire and police chiefs said in an announcement Wednesday that there is no evidence that the fire on the lot of Herb Chambers Land Rover Jaguar in the early morning hours of Sept. 22 was intentionally set.

The fire started in a 2004 Jaguar XJ8 that was undergoing repairs after another fire that occurred elsewhere. Even the manufacturer’s own experts could not determine the exact cause because the vehicle was so severely damaged.

Total damage was estimated at up to $750,000.

There were no injuries.