Magnesium car fire from insurance fraud

Tom's vivid example of magnesium ignition temperature — NYC arson of junker cars with mag wheels. Magnesium burns at ~4000 °F once gasoline-ignited; used as a flare and fireworks material in powder form.

In addition to corrosion, it will burn if you get to certain temperatures. If you want to see this, go to New York City, go to one of the poor areas of town where they torch cars on the sidewalk to get the insurance money. Your car's a junker but it's got mag wheels. You torch it. Throw some gasoline on a car and on some magnesium, the fire will get hot enough, magnesium will ignite, and you get a really hot fire. It burns at about 4000 degrees. Magnesium is used in flares, used in fireworks in powdered form — gives bright white lights. It burns because it's so reactive.