A Rindge man’s vehicle went up in flames as he attempted to extricate it from a snowbank in the early hours of Monday morning.
At just after midnight on Monday, Russell Barrette of Rindge was traveling on Cathedral Road when his 2007 Dodge Caliber slipped off the road and became stuck in the snow, according to Rindge Fire Chief Rick Donovan in an interview Wednesday.
Barrette attempted to extricate himself from the snowbank, and as his tires were spinning, he noticed flames, Donovan said.
Barrette was able to safely exit his vehicle, but the fire spread and the vehicle was a total loss. The fire was compounded by the fact that what would become Winter Storm Ezekiel was underway, and fire crews were delayed in responding to the scene by the weather conditions, Donovan said.
“We had a tough time getting people to the station. The highway department was trying to keep up with the roads, but they were treacherous, as you can imagine. The storm was pretty heavy,” Donovan said.
Donovan said crews arrived about 20 minutes after the initial call, but by the time they arrived, the vehicle was fully aflame.
Donovan said the fire department was unable to determine what initially sparked the fire, and is still investigating.
No one was injured.