Van bursts into flames after being dug out from snow

A van in Petty Harbour went from cold to very hot after it was shovelled it out of the snow Monday.

Bernie Murphy dug out his girlfriend's van, cleared snow from under the hood, and then — a few minutes after starting it to warm up — he looked out his window and saw the van had caught fire.

"We're in the house for like 10 minutes, and I look through the window, and the van was in flames," he said.

While a neighbour called the fire department and his girlfriend called 911, Murphy moved his truck and snowblower away from the flames, as they were full of gas. Then he and other neighbours dumped shovelfuls of snow on the van and were able to put out the flames.

Murphy said he's not certain why the fire broke out.

"I think maybe a pulley or something might have been froze up," he said. "I really have no idea. It could be because of some snow that I didn't see."

Fire was dealt with quickly

It all happened very fast, he said.

"Oh my God, it was all a rush then... I ran. I got a shovel and I started banging snow on top of the fire because some of the hood was burnt on the van," he said. "My biggest concern was I was afraid that it would spread and burn the house.

"I got the hood open and I was banking down all the front of the engine with snow when my neighbour came over, my two neighbours, and they helped.

Five minutes later the fire department showed up, despite poor road conditions, he said. 

"They said the road was pretty bad down there, but anyway, we got everything all straightened up and cleaned off and it is what it is now I guess."

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