Officer Unscathed After Patrol Car Catches Fire
DANVILLE – Officers escaped injury after a patrol car caught fire in the parking lot of the Danville Police Department Saturday morning.
At around 6 am Saturday, firefighters were called to a report of a vehicle fire on the 500 block of La Gonda Way.
A night patrol officer was the first one to report flames coming from his vehicle. He radioed a request for the fire department to respond, telling the dispatcher, “my car is on fire in the parking lot.”
When firefighters arrived, they found the patrol vehicle fully engulfed in flames. Officers warned the responding firefighters that they heard ammunition rounds stored inside the vehicle exploding.
A portion of La Gonda Way was closed while firefighters extinguished the fire, which was reportedly only 30 yards from a nearby structure.
According to Danville Police Chief Steve Simpkins, the car was being used when it caught fire. Simpkins says the cause of the fire is still under investigation, but he’s very glad the officer wasn’t injured.
The vehicle was reportedly a Chevrolet Caprice police car, the primary vehicle used by patrol officers in the department.
Officer escapes injury after patrol car bursts into flame in #Danville this morning. Apparent electrical malfunction. Car destroyed. pic.twitter.com/2ZAgckeLiH
— Brian Dinsmore (@DinsmoreDesk) January 7, 2017
