Update:
A van that caught on fire Wednesday near 140 Mile House had just been purchased and insured by a new owner.
Stan McCarthy, chief of the 150 Mile House Volunteer Fire Department, said the owner was taking it from 108 Mile to Williams Lake to return his rental car, which his girlfriend was driving behind him.
“The van caught fire in the rear of the vehicle and that was the end of the vehicle,” McCarthy told the Tribune Thursday morning.
McCarthy said the driver called 9-1-1 right away and that he was able to access the scene quickly.
“It was fully involved in the back of the car when I got there. He had summer tires in the back and they caught fire. It was really burning.”
Seven crew members responded with two engines and as the car was off the side of the highway they only blocked one lane of traffic and did not need to close the highway.
There were no injuries, McCarthy added.
“Poor guy. It was a sad day for him.”
McCarthy said first responder calls are way down and the department does not respond to any COVID-19-like symptom incidents.
Original:
Emergency crews are responding to a vehicle fire on Highway 97 just north of 140 Mile Wednesday evening.
A witness said the 150 Mile House Volunteer Fire Dept. is attending.
Two lanes are blocked, but traffic is still moving both ways.
More to come
