Shelton firefighters made quick work of a potentially disastrous fire involving a propane delivery truck early Thursday.
Echo Hose Hook and Ladder was sent to a propane filling station on Riverdale Avenue at 12:20 a.m., Shelton Assistant Fire Chief Nick Verdicchio said.
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A motorist called 911 after spotting the flames from Route 8.
Firefighters arrived and saw the cab of the propane truck engulfed in flames, Verdicchio said. The fire was so intense, it damaged a nearby school bus, which was parked there overnight with other buses.
The truck was parked there overnight, plugged into a propane tank in a back corner of the lot.
“It was fully involved. Heavy damage to the front of the truck,” Verdicchio said. “The heat from the fire did damage to the adjoining lot, where they store school buses. One school bus was damaged.”
Pine Rock Park Fire Co. No. 4 was also called to the scene.
Firefighters first used meters to make sure propane wasn’t leaking into the air.
It wasn’t.
Next, they cooled down the collection of propane tanks that surrounded the burning truck.
“Then we went in and put it out like a regular fire,” Verdicchio said.
About 15 firefighters responded to the scene. There were no injuries.
“I don’t know what caused it. It was plugged in for the night. I don’t know if that had something to do with it. I don’t know if it had previous mechanical problems or what,” Verdicchio said.
The fire marshal’s office is investigating.
“We had the fire knocked down within minutes,” the assistant chief said.
Next, at about 1:24 a.m. Shelton firefighters were sent to a report of a car fire in the area of Constitution Avenue South, near Long Hill Avenue.
Like the cab of the truck, the car was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived.
The car, thought to be a Honda, was stripped — it didn’t even have an engine.
Verdicchio suspects it was stolen, dumped and burned.
“Cars without motors don’t usually spontaneously combust,” he said.
There was a dicey moment during that call, as the car started to roll as firefighters were trying to put out the fire. The car struck the fire truck’s bumper, causing minor damage.
The location is near Route 8 entrance and exit ramps.
The fire marshal’s office is investigating that incident as well.
