Van goes up in flames at Bloomington Park

ST. GEORGE — A woman’s trip from a car mechanic shop Monday morning unexpectedly heated up when her car began smoking as she was driving, before going up in flames.

The smoldering remains of a Honda Odyssey sit in a parking lot after a mechanical issue resulted in a vehicle fire, Bloomington Park, St. George, Utah, Aug. 18, 2015 | Photo by Devan Chavez, St. George News
The smoldering remains of a Honda Odyssey sit in a parking lot after a mechanical issue resulted in a vehicle fire, Bloomington Park, St. George, Utah, Aug. 18, 2015 | Photo by Devan Chavez, St. George News

Just after 11 a.m., members of the St. George Fire Department were dispatched to the Bloomington Park located at 650 W. Man-O-War Road in St. George after receiving reports that a vehicle was on fire in the parking lot, St. George Fire Capt. Rick Nelson said.

When the firemen arrived on scene, a blue Honda Odyssey van had visible flames coming from the front of the vehicle, Nelson said.

“Luckily, everybody was out of the vehicle,” he said. “So we went into fast-attack mode and put the fire out.”

The cars only occupant, a woman, said she had just taken the van to a mechanic, Nelson said. As she was driving, she noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment, and pulled into the Bloomington Park parking lot.

A member of the St. George Fire Department reaches down to pick up a fire hose after extinguishing a fire on a Honda Odyssey in Bloomington Park, St. George, Utah, Aug. 18, 2015 | Photo by Devan Chavez, St. George News
A member of the St. George Fire Department reaches down to pick up a fire hose after extinguishing a fire on a Honda Odyssey in Bloomington Park, St. George, Utah, Aug. 18, 2015 | Photo by Devan Chavez, St. George News

The vehicle fire is believed to have been the result of a mechanical issue, Nelson said, but the exact cause the fire was unclear.

“It’s pretty common in … vehicle fires,” Nelson said.

When leaving a mechanic or having any vehicle work done, Nelson said, it is important to pay attention to your vehicle to make sure everything is working how it should be.

“If there is any problem at all — you smell anything strange, or see any smoke — do just like this lady did and pull over and get out of the vehicle,” Nelson said. “We just don’t know what’s going to happen.”

This report is based on preliminary information provided by the authorities and may not contain the full scope of findings.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2015, all rights reserved.

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5 Comments

  • fun bag August 18, 2015 at 4:53 pm

    LOL, which mechanic did she take it to? Was it BIG-O-TIRES?

  • ladybugavenger August 18, 2015 at 5:02 pm

    That sucks!

  • sagemoon August 19, 2015 at 9:07 am

    I would be so angry if I were her.

  • fun bag August 19, 2015 at 5:31 pm

    The one and only time I went to BIG-O-TIRES on sunset (to have a minor thing looked at) I caught them trying to sabotage my vehicle so that they could create a much larger repair estimate. Really gotta watch who you take your cars to in this town because there are plenty of them that are dishonest. I’ve even had the WADE dealership screw up a couple times, but they’ve been ok to make it right. I don’t know how the places that are outright crooks (BIG O) are even still in business?…

  • beentheredonethat August 19, 2015 at 6:43 pm

    They have tempO recommends!

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