WILDWOOD – A motor vehicle fire paused traffic heading out of Wildwood April 12.
Members of the Rio Grande Fire Company received the call at roughly 5:30 p.m., according to Fire Chief Richard Sweeten. Firefighters ventured eastbound, on Route 47, finding the vehicle, a 2010 BMW sedan, with fire emanating from its engine compartment.
Wildwood fire crews also responded, and together, both teams doused the blaze within five minutes, Sweeten said.
The fire also caused the vehicle to leak fuel, which spread down a portion of the roadway, forcing traffic to be stopped. The Cape May County Hazmat Team arrived on scene to clean the fuel from the road.
Sweeten said the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) was notified and planned to send a sand truck to assist the hazmat team. The chief was unable to confirm if NJDOT crews arrived on scene since Rio Grande firefighters cleared the scene beforehand.
Sweeten added that due to the vehicle’s age, an investigation by the Cape May County Fire Marshal’s Office won’t be forthcoming, but, he said, the fire appeared to be caused by a malfunction.
Rio Grande firefighters were on scene for about one hour, while Wildwood’s crews were on scene for roughly 40 minutes.
