Car Stalls in Rest Area,
Starts on Fire

MidTown - February 14, 2003 --- Evans Center Assistant Chief Ken Hontz was just pulling into their Erie Road Fire Station #1 when Angola Fire Control dispatched his company for a reported "fully involved" vehicle fire on the New York State Thruway. The location was given as Milepost 443.6 Westbound in the rest area.

The driver of a Chevrolet Cavalier reported that the car "just shut down" and he pulled it into the entrance of the westbound rest area just before flames appeared from the engine compartment.

Firefighters Sean Murphy and Joel Raisor were at the station when the alarm came in and were joined shortly by Firefighter Scott Wheeler and Captain Tiger Schmittendorf. They all got on board Engine 1 and headed for the scene.

Conflicting reports from Hamburg and Angola Fire Controls could not clearly identify the type or size of the vehicle burning. Based on this information, Captain Schmittendorf requested the Eden Fire Department to post an engine and tanker at the Eden-Angola interchange of the Thruway.

Receiving additional reports of a working fire, Schmittendorf radioed Eden Asst. Chief Dave Cole to have his Engine 1 come directly into the scene and to have their tanker stage at the toll booth should additional water be required.

Units headed eastbound and crossed-over to the westbound side just past the Eighteen Mile Creek Bridge. Approaching the rest area, Schmittendorf radioed a working fire in an automobile.

Evans Center Engine 3 responded to standby at the toll barrier with Firefighters Geordie Sinclair, Kevin Widelko and Leon Widelko Jr.

Asst. Chief Hontz fed water from the pump to Firefighter Raisor on the nozzle backed up by Firefighter Wheeler on the attack line. Firefighter Murphy grabbed the irons and created access points through the exterior of the vehicle.

The crew from Eden Engine 1 arrived right behind with Evans Center and assisted in overhauling the vehicle once the bulk of the fire was knocked down. A saw had to be used to access the trunk to ascertain fire spread and identify any salvageable personal effects of the driver.

Evans Center was assisted at the scene by New York State Police, Pinto's Towing, Angola and Hamburg Fire Controls.

The fire was extinguished with just tank water from Evans Center Engine 1. The Engine Company was in service about an hour after the alarm.

.