MY 98 EXPEDITION WAS PARKED IN MY GARAGE WHEN MY SON CAME HOME AND OPENED THE GARAGE A SAW SMOKE COMING OUT. I HAD BEEN HOME ABOUT 80 MINS. THE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF MY EXP. I QUICKLY STARTED THE VEHICLE TO GET IT OUT OF THE GARAGE AREA, BUT IT WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE - THE BRAKE PRESSURE FUSE HAD BLOWN DUE TO THE WIRE FIRE, SO THE CAR WAS STUCK IN PARK. LUCKILY THE FIRE WENT OUT ON IT'S OWN. PROBLEM WAS THE CRUISE CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH SPARKED (SOMEHOW) AND STARTED A SMALL WIRE FIRE UNDER THE HOOD - NEAR THE BRAKE FLUID RESERVIOR. THIS COULD HAVE BURNED MY CAR AND MY HOUSE DOWN !! NORTH CENTRAL FORD (RICHARDSON TX) WOULD NOT FIX THE PROBLEM AT NO CHARGE, BECAUSE "ONLY THE 2000 MODELS HAD A RECALL" !! THEY DID ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE 1997 TO 2001 MODELS ARE CURRENTLY BEING "INVESTIGATED" BY FORD ENGINEERS AND THE NHTSA FOR THE SAME FIRE PROBLEM THAT I HAD. MY MECHANIC (NOT A FORD DEALER) DISCONNECTED THE WIRE HARNESS SO NOW THE FUSE WON'T BLOW AND I CAN DRIVE THE VEHICLE. I WILL HAVE MY MECHANIC FIX THE PROBLEM TOMORROW. *NM