A burning cigarette caused a car fire in the door of a vehicle in a driveway on Wheeler Road in New Ipswich Sunday afternoon.
Fire Chief Meredith Lund responded to a call for a vehicle fire at around 3 p.m. Sunday, and said at first, it was not clear that there was indeed an active fire, as the vehicle, from the outside, looked intact.
“But I opened the door, and sure enough, it was full of smoke,” Lund said Wednesday.
Lund said the owner of the vehicle reported that he used the molded plastic storage space on the car door as an ashtray for cigarettes, and a still-lit cigarette had started the fire. Lund said the plastic casing on the door, up to the vent on the dashboard, and part of the dashboard had melted from the fire.
“I appreciate the fact that you’re not throwing them on the ground, but you probably shouldn’t be putting them there, either,” Lund said.
Lund said the driver had done the right thing in leaving the car door closed, depriving the fire of additional oxygen and limiting the potential spread. The fire was put out with a five-gallon bucket the homeowner had on hand, and the damage was limited, she said. The fire department also used an air-pressurized water fire extinguisher on the door to cool the temperature – which had reached more than 100 degrees – to prevent the door from reigniting.
Lund said the vehicle was damaged, but drivable.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.