HOUSTON -- Several groups are now working along with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration with hopes of finding the cause of a series of fires in Ford pickups and sport utility vehicles, the Local 2 Troubleshooters reported Tuesday in an exclusive story.

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Climate Could Be Clue In Ford Fire Investigation

Michael Chaney with Premiere Claims Investigation, and Dave Reiter, with Verité Forensic Engineering, were called in to investigate the March fire that destroyed the home of Harris County Sheriff's Deputy Kenneth Bankhead.

SLIDESHOW View Images Of Ford Vehicle Fire Damage ON THE NET Vehicle Search: Is Your Car Affected? Ford Motor Company National Highway Traffic Safety Administration PHONE NUMBERS Ford: (800) 392-3673 Report Vehicle Fire Not In Recall:(866) 436-7332 NHTSA: (888) 327-4236

Chaney and Reiter sifted through the debris and eventually found a portion of the Expedition's speed control deactivation switch.

That switch is the one being blamed in dozens of fires in certain Ford trucks and SUVs. It is also the same switch that prompted Ford's recall in January and is the target of an ongoing government investigation.

The investigators said they are not only trying to figure out what's causing the fires but also why they have happened more frequently in the south than in any other part of the country.

"We are seeing this link, that if you draw a line, almost like the old Mason-Dixon line, you're not having as many fires up above that as you are below it," Chaney said.

Chaney said an early theory as to why the switches are breaking down and catching fire is because of Houston's hot and humid climate.

"There seems to be a connection with heat is what we're thinking," Chaney said.

Chaney and Reiter are now getting the funding together to do their own independent burns tests, as are other forensic engineers in other parts of the country. They expect to start conducting their own tests in May.

The NHTSA is still investigating fires in Ford F-150s made between 1995 and 2002. Ford Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators made between 1997 and 2002 are also being investigated.

Owners who have experienced similar vehicle fires should report them to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at (888) 327-4236 or via its Web site at www.nhtsa.dot.gov.