Capital City Fire/Rescue responded to a vehicle fire on F Street late Monday evening.
“We got the call at approximately 10 o’clock,” said CCFR acting assistant chief Sam Russell, who oversaw the response, in a phone interview. “We do know the owner of the vehicle. They were not on scene on the time.”
The vehicle, a light pickup truck, was gutted by the fire. The vehicle’s owner, who CCFR did not identify, wasn’t injured in the fire, Russell said. The vehicle’s interior is entirely immolated.
Capital City Fire/Rescue responded to a call at about 10 p.m. on Nov. 16, 2020 to a vehicle fire downtown. The vehicle, a pickup truck, had many items in the back. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire)
[Authorities investigate probable downtown arson]
The truck had a susbtantial amount of items in the back, which Russell said was not unusual.
“It was a fairly typical car fire,” Russell said. “There was a lot of stuff in the back but that’s not atypical.”
Capital City Fire/Rescue responded to a call at approximately 10 p.m. on Nov. 16, 2020 to a vehicle fire downtown. The vehicle, shown here the next morning, was located on F Street. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire)
The presence of propane cylinders in the truck bed was concerning but not alarming, Russell said.
“Those are not a hazard to the public. There was one that had propane in it that was venting at the time. The crew was able to cool it down and turn it off. It was a hazard but it’s not a hazard anymore,” Russell said. “Propane cylinders are pretty safe. They have a vent mechanism so they vent when they get hot instead of explode.”
The investigation was a pretty straightforward one, Russell said, but a specific cause has not yet been indentified. Now, the owner of the vehicle is responsible for taking care of the hulk, Russell said.
• Contact reporter Michael S. Lockett at (757) 621-1197 or mlockett@juneauempire.com.
