Van destroyed by fire near suburban home in Vincent
Emergency services needed to work quickly to prevent a car fire from damaging a home.
Townsville
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The owner of a 1985 VW Kombi has spoken of the moment his van burst in to flames while he was carrying out mechanical work, destroying it.
Firefighters were called to a car fire Yoolantie St, Vincent about 12pm on Monday.
Kirwan Fire Station officer-in-charge Mark Graham said a man was doing “mechanical work” on the vehicle when he noticed the fire.
“While he was doing the mechanical work he’s heard a pop around the engine area and then he’s seen a fire,” Mr Graham said.
“He attempted to put out the fire with a garden hose but part of the problem of the vehicle was with the fuel injection system.
“He’s done all the right things but unfortunately the fire grew too quickly.”
Vincent resident Matt, who did not want his last name used, had been working on the vehicle, which he uses as his daily driver, after losing his job as a truck driver due to COVID-19.
He said he was working on it from the manual “step by step”, after the electrical system failed a few weeks ago.
It caught alight when he went to turn on the ignition.
The 85 Kombi was special, one of the first models to use a water-cooled fuel injection system
In the time it took for Matt to run to the backyard and grab a garden hose to extinguish the blaze, he came back to find the vehicle was fully alight.
Matt said the 80s construction using materials like soft plastics and fabrics fuelled the blaze, with aerosol cans also causing some explosions.
Some smoke damage was sustained to the home and the front door landing above where it was parked in the driveway.
The vehicle was not insured.
There were no reports of injuries.
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Originally published as Van destroyed by fire near suburban home in Vincent