ST. GEORGE — A truck suffering a probable mechanical failure caught fire Thursday night at a Maverik – Adventure’s First Stop – convenience store, bringing out the St. George Fire Department and forcing a shutdown of the gas pumps.
At approximately 7:45 p.m., law enforcement and Fire Department personnel responded to reports of a truck on fire at the Maverik convenience store at 2078 E. Riverside Drive, St. George Fire Department Chief Robert Stoker said. When emergency crews arrived, they found an older Ford pickup in flames. Stoker said:
They were at the gas pumps, had fueled the truck up and started it up. Sounded like it may have been a mechanical malfunction or failure. A lady at the pump next to them said that she started to see smoke coming out from underneath their hood, at which point they pushed it up out of the way from the gas pumps up towards Riverside Drive … just north of the station, still in (Maverik’s) parking lot
The occupants of the vehicle — an adult man and his father — attempted to extinguish the blaze with fire extinguishers but were unable to do so. When the Fire Department arrived, the flames were coming out of both the engine and passenger compartments.
“We had to use the saw to get the hood open,” Stoker said. “We were able to put it out. The only damage was to the vehicle. There wasn’t any damage to the Maverik pumps or the canopy. There were no injuries.”
Two fire engines and a brush truck belonging to the St. George Fire Department responded to the incident, with a total of approximately one dozen firefighters, Stoker said. St. George Police also responded to the scene. Fire personnel were on-scene for approximately one hour.
The vehicle was towed from the scene.
This report is based on preliminary information provided by law enforcement or other emergency responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.
Reporter Cody Blowers contributed to this article.
Updated with additional photos March 12.
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A truck in flames at the Maverik – Adventure's First Stop - convenience store at 2078 E. Riverside Drive, St. George, Utah, March 10 2016 | Photo courtesy of Cody Pitcher, St. George News
A truck in flames at the Maverik – Adventure's First Stop - convenience store at 2078 E. Riverside Drive, St. George, Utah, March 10 2016 | Photo courtesy of Cody Pitcher, St. George News
A truck in flames at the Maverik – Adventure's First Stop - convenience store at 2078 E. Riverside Drive, St. George, Utah, March 10 2016 | Photo courtesy of Cody Pitcher, St. George News
White Ford truck catches fire in the parking lot of Maverik – Adventure's First Stop - convenience store at 2078 E. Riverside Drive, St. George, Utah, March 10 2016 | Photo courtesy of Kinnon Peck, St. George News
Firefighters respond to truck fire at Maverik – Adventure's First Stop - convenience store at 2078 E. Riverside Drive, St. George, Utah, March 10 2016 | Photo courtesy of Kinnon Peck, St. George News
Firefighters extinguishing blaze at Maverik – Adventure's First Stop - convenience store at 2078 E. Riverside Drive, St. George, Utah, March 10 2016 | Photo courtesy of Kinnon Peck, St. George News
Firefighters respond to vehicle fire at Maverik – Adventure's First Stop - convenience store at 2078 E. Riverside Drive, St. George, Utah, March 10 2016 | St. George News
White Ford truck after fire at Maverik – Adventure's First Stop - convenience store at 2078 E. Riverside Drive, St. George, Utah, March 10 2016 | St. George News
Firefighter checks Ford truck after fire at Maverik – Adventure's First Stop - convenience store at 2078 E. Riverside Drive, St. George, Utah, March 10 2016 | St. George News
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