Quote Originally Posted by firebird77clone View Post
Is there really a significant chance the 18" of wire between it and the battery is going to short out?
You're thinking only of a wire failure, often it is the insulation failure that causes the short. When the insulation fails, it is the current protection (fuse, breaker, fusible link, exc..) that prevents the fire. Crosslinked insulation is used in automotive wiring due to the increased heat demands on the wire's insulation.