I'm not sure why you think that it would. There are three ingredients required for combustion. Oxygen, gas, and heat. But that's just to burn. To explode you also need pressure to build up with a force stronger than the container (in this case a steel tank).
So just to burn, you need to get enough heat and oxygen into the gas tank. Heat shouldn't be a problem if cars are melting (though it does require a rather high heat for gas to ignite at 540F), but gas tanks are designed to be reasonably airtight, so not a lot of oxygen going into the system. If they do get oxygen in, then it will start to burn, but if oxygen is getting in, that means air is getting in, and if air is getting in, there is a hole. If there is a hole then there is a way for the pressure to release. Thus burning, no exploding.
Lack of oxygen and no spark inside the tank. If the tank was violently ruptured so the gas could pour out, then yes there would be a flare up of gas pooling up on the ground. but a burst & explosion is unlikely as the vehicles are designed to mitigate that scenario in an accident.
Yes but what is keeping the fuel in the tanks from exploding?
I'm not sure why you think that it would. There are three ingredients required for combustion. Oxygen, gas, and heat. But that's just to burn. To explode you also need pressure to build up with a force stronger than the container (in this case a steel tank).
So just to burn, you need to get enough heat and oxygen into the gas tank. Heat shouldn't be a problem if cars are melting (though it does require a rather high heat for gas to ignite at 540F), but gas tanks are designed to be reasonably airtight, so not a lot of oxygen going into the system. If they do get oxygen in, then it will start to burn, but if oxygen is getting in, that means air is getting in, and if air is getting in, there is a hole. If there is a hole then there is a way for the pressure to release. Thus burning, no exploding.
Lack of oxygen and no spark inside the tank. If the tank was violently ruptured so the gas could pour out, then yes there would be a flare up of gas pooling up on the ground. but a burst & explosion is unlikely as the vehicles are designed to mitigate that scenario in an accident.