AT ABOUT 8:30 AT NIGHT, I WAS AT HOME ALONE AND HEARD STRANGE THUMPING AND HISSING NOISES OUTSIDE MY LIVING ROOM WINDOW. I WENT OUTSIDE TO INVESTIGATE AND DISCOVERED FLAMES BILLOWING FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF MY 2001 FORD WINDSTAR VAN, WHICH WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY APPROXIMATELY FOUR FEET FROM OUR WOOD FRAME HOUSE. IT HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN SINCE 4:00 PM. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED 911, AND NEIGHBORS HELPED CONTAIN THE FIRE WITH A GARDEN HOSE WHILE WE WAITED FOR EMERGENCY PERSONNEL TO ARRIVE. IT TOOK FIREMEN A GOOD 20-30 MINUTES TO FULLY EXTINGUISH THE FLAMES, WHICH DISINTEGRATED THE ENGINE, WINDSHIELD AND DASHBOARD AREA. THANKFULLY THE FIRE DID NOT SPREAD TO OUR HOUSE. ONE OF THE NEIGHBORS WHO HELPED THAT NIGHT IS A FORD SERVICE TECHNICIAN. HE SAID THAT IN HIS OPINION THE FIRE WAS UNDOUBTEDLY CAUSED BY A SHORT IN THE SPEED CONTROL SYSTEM. SINCE OUR VEHICLE WAS NOT ONE OF THOSE RECALLED FOR THAT PROBLEM, WE HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY TYPE OF WARNING THAT OUR CAR MIGHT SPONTANEOUSLY BURST INTO FLAMES WHILE SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY ON A COOL JANUARY NIGHT. NOW THAT'S IT'S TOO LATE, AND AFTER DOING SOME INTERNET RESEARCH, I RECOGNIZE SOME SYMPTOMS THAT LINE UP WITH SPEED CONTROL SYSTEM FAILURE: 1) A FEW WEEKS AGO MY BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON. WE ADDED BRAKE FLUID AND THE LIGHT WENT OFF. 2) FOUR DAYS BEFORE THE FIRE, I TRIED TO USE MY CRUISE CONTROL IN A 30 MPH ZONE AND IT WOULDN'T WORK. THAT SPEED MAY HAVE BEEN TOO SLOW TO ENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL, BUT IT HAD WORKED BEFORE. 3) TW