News

On Saturday June 20th at 1830hrs the MVFC was dispatched to a reported vehicle fire in the 200 block of Possum Rd., in the Bay Shore Mobile Home Park. Updated information from the Sussex EOC was that an occupied vehicle had been struck by lightning causing the fire in the engine compartment. The fire was reportedly causing an exposure problem to the residence it was parked in front of. E84-6 under the direction of Deputy Chief Scott arrived to find the engine compartment involved. A 1-3/4” CAFS line was extended by the crew and extinguished the fire quickly. The owner of the vehicle stated that he and his daughter had arrived home as a major storm cell was overhead deluging the area with torrential rain and cloud to ground lightning. He decided to wait for the storm to pass before leaving the protection of the vehicle. A bolt of lightning struck a fishing pole that he had mounted in the surf fishing rack on the front of his truck and both he and his daughter reported a loud bang and flash from the engine area before smoke immediately started to fill the occupant compartment. Both occupants were lucky that they were not touching metal when the electricity energized the vehicle and they avoided any serious injuries. Chief Shawn Evans placed the situation under control at 1853hrs and units were placed back into service.