Petersburg Volunteer firefighters responded to a vehicle fire at 4:30 on the morning of October 27th. The fire was on Cornelius Road, about two miles south of town. When they arrived on the scene, Troy Thynes, the owner of the diesel truck was trying to put out the blaze with a garden hose.
His efforts were in vain, according to Dave Berg, spokesperson for the Fire Department. He said some water in the hose had frozen overnight.
Responding firefighters were able to contain the blaze around 5:00 a.m., which is when one of the tires popped from the intense heat. Nearby residents reported hearing a loud “bang” at that time.
The firefighters determined that the source of the blaze was a block heater connected to the truck’s motor. Berg advised residents to follow the manufacturing guidelines for heaters and be vigilant about outdoor electrical connections — especially in wet weather.
Altogether, ten firefighters, two fire engines, as well local police responded to the fire. No injuries or additional structure fires were reported at the scene.
