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A father rescued his five children from his car this afternoon as it burned out of control next to a gas pump, officials say.Photo contributed by Amy Maxwell
A father rescued his five children from his car this afternoon as it burned out of control next to a gas pump, officials say.
The fire took place about 3:15 p.m. at the Mapco Mart at 8100 Standifer Gap Road, said Amy Maxwell, spokeswoman for the Hamilton County Emergency Services.
A man carrying his children home from school noticed that his 1994 Cadillac was smoking and pulled into the Mapco, Maxwell said. When he opened the hood, fire poured out and quickly spread to the rest of the car, she said.
The man got his five children safely out of the car as the fire spread to the nearby gas pump.
An employee inside the store hit the “emergency stop” button, which cut off the supply of gas and electricity to the pump and then called 911, Maxwell said.
Tri-Community Volunteer Fire Department responded and extinguished the fire within 5 minutes.
The cause of the fire is undetermined, she said.
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Hmmm, let's see. My car is smoking severely. I know, brilliant idea, let's pull into a GAS station..... REALLY?!?!?
Not only a gas station but right up to the pumps!
Oh dear, he probably votes too!
Can we say Darwin award here?
He was probably going to use gasoline to put the fire out!
Why does everyone have to be so negative all the time. I say "Way to go", protecting your children and making sure they are all out safe. No one is perfect and we don't always make all the right choices but as a father, saving his FIVE children is amazing!
lovelyleah2003... You are right. I have done my share of stupid things too. In the heat of the moment, we don't always think clearly.
For one thing, I'm glad the dad got his kids out safely. On another note, how many times have you seen some careless idiot pull up to a gas pump and still be talking on the cell phone when there are signs that state TURN OFF CELL PHONES!?
Maybe it actually could be smart to pull into a gas station, but not anywhere near to pumps. All gas stations have fire extinguishers etc., so if he or the attendant had enough time the fire may have been controlled. What are the thoughts of a professional fire fighter on this?
I am so glad that the father was able to get his five kids away from the burning car. I wonder what could have caused that fire. Was it because it was a hot day and the engine started overheating? And also, why did the father stop his car so close to the gas pump? The fire could have escalated beyond hope if the station caught fire and exploded.
Lakisha - http://getapproved.com.au
A mistake will always do. Such things happened but good thing the man has able to save his children's lives. On the other hand, i heard some cases like this which lead to explosion in the gasoline station. It might be the problem on the car itself or might be an issue on the pump or the Fuel sending unit whatsoever. The best thing anyways is to follow precautionary measure while getting filled in the gasoline station as such turning cellphones off or simply turn off the car's engine while on the said place. As guess though, the vehicle would not be revived from getting into this smoky explosion however, the gasoline station might have the mistake as well for tolerating such things on the side of the costumers.
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