Car heading south from Washington City catches fire on I-15 in Virgin River Gorge

Flames erupt from a 2005 Nissan Altima that catches fire on southbound Interstate 15 south of the Utah-Arizona Border, Mohave County, Ariz., May 13, 2021 | Photo courtesy of Beaver Dam Littlefield Fire and Rescue, St. George Ne

ST. GEORGE — A car was destroyed when it caught fire on southbound Interstate 15 a few miles south of St. George on Thursday evening – less than two hours after the northbound side of the interstate reopened following a semi rollover.

Flames erupt from a 2005 Nissan Altima that catches fire on southbound Interstate 15 south of the Utah-Arizona Border, Mohave County, Ariz., May 13, 2021 | Photo courtesy of Beaver Dam Littlefield Fire and Rescue, St. George News

Shortly after 7:30 p.m. MST, emergency personnel were dispatched to a vehicle fire reported on southbound I-15 at mile marker 20, approximately 9 miles south of St. George. Because the incident occurred near the Utah-Arizona border, firefighters from Beaver Dam-Littlefield Fire and Rescue and the St. George Fire Department responded.

Arizona Department of Public Safety Sgt. John Bottoms told St. George News that Beaver Dam fire crews arrived to find the 2005 Nissan Altima completely involved in fire and were able to extinguish that blaze quickly before it had a chance to spread to the nearby brush and vegetation.

At the time of the incident, the driver was heading south from their home in Washington City, Bottoms said. As the Nissan continued south, fire erupted in the engine compartment and spread quickly. The driver pulled off the interstate and exited the car that continued to burn until rescue units arrived minutes later.

The car was destroyed, Bottoms said, and was subsequently towed from the scene. No other vehicles were involved in the incident.

The driver was uninjured and the impact on traffic was minimal, unlike the rollover crash that left the northbound side of I-15 closed for hours as responders tended to the scene.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety, Mohave County Sheriff’s Office, Beaver Dam Littlefield Fire and Rescue and the St. George Fire Department responded and tended to the scene of the car fire.

This report is based on statements from police, emergency personnel or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.  

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2021, all rights reserved.

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