Sopranos - catalytic converter catches leaves on fire?

[rytard]

On this week's episode of the Sopranos, AJ parks his Nissan Xterra in the woods on a pile of dry leaves and eventually, the leaves catch fire and the whole truck blows up. The reason given in the show is that the heat from the catalytic converter causes the leaves underneath to burn, which then ignites the car.
Could this actually happen?

 

[RonMAIDEN]

yes but not likely.

 

[ProMed]

It happened to my Grandmother around 15 years ago. She parked her cadillac in a parking space under a tree at her church. It was fall and apparently a bunch of leaves had built up in the parking space. Her catcon caught the leaves on fire and burned the car up.

 

[animator]

It happened to my Grandmother around 15 years ago. She parked her cadillac in a parking space under a tree at her church. It was fall and apparently a bunch of leaves had built up in the parking space. Her catcon caught the leaves on fire and burned the car up.

With a car that's low to the ground, such as this, I'd certainly believe it.

In a Nissan xterra, or practically any SUV, no way in hell are the leaves on the ground going to catch fire.

Maybe if he parked on a huge pile, or if the grass was a foot or three high and extremely dry, then maybe....