2001 Ford Explorer wipers, windshield & visibility problems

I was driving and I saw and smelt smoke. I immediately could tell where it was coming from because I saw the smoke coming out of the hazard light on top of my steering wheel, it then turned into a flame,it was inside of the steering wheel. I pulled off to the side of the road because fortunately I had water with me and I poured a little bit of water on the flames that were coming out of where the hazard light is. This has happened 2 times,with the final result being 2 fires. It happened a 3rd time with just smoke.

Ford explorer 2001 blend door needs replaced. Car is in great condition except for this problem which is a safety issue I found out early one morning on a cold day when the windshield would not defrost and I could not see threw it while I was on the highway. I kept pulling over to wipe the windows and headed back home. I have made an appointment with ford service and I know it's going to cost alot. After researching on the web I learned that this is a very common problem.