A vehicle fire at a gas pump in BP caused damage and drew a large emergency response Sunday afternoon in South Pittsburg.
Photo: Lindsey Rebekah Rich – from Facebook
The fire happened at the BP station located in the 1200 block of South Cedar Avenue near the intersection with 12th Street and Elm Avenue.
Several eyewitnesses captured video of the incident and shared footage across social media as flames and heavy smoke could be seen coming from the vehicle near the pumps.
Officers with the South Pittsburg Police Department were the first to arrive and attempted to get the fire under control before fire crews arrived to fully extinguish the flames and ensure there was no further danger to the store or immediate area.
In some of the videos circulating online, a loud pop or explosion can be heard coming from the car while the fire was still going. We have been told the sound was likely caused by the vehicle’s air bag deploying — something that can commonly occur during vehicle fires due to extreme heat conditions.
There was reportedly no major damage to the BP building or fuel pumps, though the vehicle itself appears to be a total loss. At this time, there has been no official word on whether anyone was injured or what may have caused the fire.
We will follow up with more information if it becomes available.
