Car a total loss after fire, Charlottetown fire inspector says

A car that caught fire on the Charlottetown bypassbetweenBrackley Point Road and St. Peters Roadon Sunday afternoon has beendeemed a total loss.

Charlottetown firefighters responded to the call at about 4:30 p.m.

No one was injured.

"The fire was contained to the engine compartment, where the area of origin was," saidCharlottetownFire InspectorWinston Bryan.

The car was occupied by four men in their 20swho wereheaded toward the West Royalty area.

Front end on fire

"The fire was extinguished by firefighters quite quickly," Bryan said.

He said the car had been stuck in a nearby driveway just prior to the fire.

The men were pulled over by a passerby who noticedtheir car was on fire underneath its front end.

Bryan said with the plastic materials used to make cars now, they can"ignite quite easily."

More car fires in winter

He said visibility on the bypass became poor as a result of smoke. Firefighters were forced to detourtrafficfor about 30 minutes whilethe fire was put out and the smoke cleared.

He noted the fire department tends to respond to moreengine fires inwinter.

"They were stuck and revving the car and moving it back and forth trying to get it out. [It] heats up the motor, heats up the transmission and the belts then the engine compartment, if not serviced over a period of time, it could cause ignition within the engine compartment."

Bryan asks that Islanders take the extra time to shovel their driveways and service their vehicles regularlyto avoid similar incidents.

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