Fire Department

A fire that ignited in the back of a Suburban was put out quickly by a bystander, sparing the vehicle and an attached food cart from severe damage.

Engine Company 8 responded to a parking lot on the 2900 block of East Washington Avenue, where they met with an off-duty Lake Geneva firefighter who said he put out the fire using an extinguisher. The vehicle’s owner told Engine 8 they use a gas-powered generator to power their food cart, and that generator runs out of the back of their Suburban. The key, he says, is to keep the back door of the vehicle open, but today someone must have closed the door without his knowledge. The running generator, situated against the closed door, ignited the plastic panel on the door's interior, causing fire to spread to the interior roof.

The fire was contained to the rear of the vehicle and did not affect the Suburban’s operability. Firefighters used their water can extinguisher to cool the interior of the vehicle and prevent rekindling. The food cart was not damaged.