A car caught fire with the driver still inside on Thursday evening in Floral Park.
Floral Park Fire Department Chief Gil Lugar said his department was called at 7:50 p.m. Thursday, July 10, to respond to a car on Tulip Avenue near Landau Avenue that had suddenly gone up in flames.
“The response was great,” Lugar said. “We always have a very timely response. The first two engines picked up the closest hydrant and stretched the line. They were able to knock the fire out with one hose line.”
Lugar said roughly 25 firefighters and four engines, three from the Floral Park Fire Department and one from the South Floral Park Fire Department, responded to the fire. It was extinguished within 15 minutes.
The driver escaped the blaze uninjured.
Lugar said the cause of the car fire is still undetermined, but that the driver said he thought the car had been running hot before it went ablaze.
“The only thing he said was that it was running hot, and then the next thing was he saw flames coming out from under the hood,” Lugar said.
Read more: April fire in Floral Park apartment displaces dozens, injures 2
According to the U.S. Fire Administration and FEMA, if your car catches fire, you should stop driving, turn off the engine and exit as quickly as possible.
The agency states that if you think there is a fire under the hood of your car, you should never open it, as that may cause the fire to grow. The agency advises people never to return to a burning vehicle and not to attempt to fight the fire themselves.
Driving with gas cans and propane tanks can be a frequent cause of car fires. If you must drive with either, FEMA advises keeping car windows open to prevent fumes from building up and ensuring they are sealed and standing upright.
Regular service from reliable mechanics can help prevent car fires.
