Fire Department

A vehicle fire snarled traffic on the westbound Beltline highway, near Gammon Road, around mid-morning Monday.

Engine Company 12 found a Ford Focus pulled over on the shoulder of the highway with working fire in the engine compartment that was beginning to extend into the passenger compartment. The driver said that due to flooding that occurred in town two nights prior, the vehicle had recently driven through some deep water. Then, that morning, the vehicle began acting strangely, and he was unable to accelerate past 55-60 miles per hour on the highway (Note: The speed limit on the Beltline is 55 miles per hour).

With assistance from law enforcement, Engine 12 blocked two lanes of traffic to allow space for firefighters working the scene. The crew pulled its 100-foot bumper line and extinguished the fire with a concentrated mixture of water and foam. The driver of the vehicle was safely out of the area and was not injured. The exact cause of the fire is unknown.