When Cedar Posts pulled up behind the smoking black Mercedes, there might have been hope. But without a pretty good sized fire extinguisher there was little to do make sure both the driver and his passenger were out of the car.
It didn't take long for the benz to get really cooking.
As with most volunteer units two of the firemen arrived in their personal vehicles. One even put on his "turn-out" gear and helmet but without a truck or no fire extinguishers there was little they could do.
Amazingly it took the Sandy Ridge Volunteer Fire Department engine company nearly 20 minutes to arrive on scene and only about 30 seconds to hose down the shell of what was just minutes before a 60k luxury automobile.
8 comments:
Sorry but those bug-eyed beasts were worth about $2 after leaving the dealer lot. The W211, on the other hand, smoother than Yacht Rock:
http://www.autoevolution.com/images/gallery/medium/MERCEDESBENZE-Klasse-medium-1476_11.jpg
WOW I've seen a lot of cars over the year burned on the side of the road, but I've never seen a Mercedes Benz.
Cedar, That was good of you to stop and make sure the everyone was okay!
Great photos Cedar. Wow looks like it went from little to big pretty quickly.
Trade value for Mercedes E320, model year 2000, about $4000; dealer retail max $8000. Ref: Kelly Blue Book on-line, 45 seconds (I'm slow).
We all should have a fire extinguisher in our car. A commonly-available standard inside-the-trunk-mount would be great. I think about getting a fire extinguisher for my car sometimes and just cannot find one when I am looking. A little extinuisher to put out that little engine fire before it gets big would save a lot of cars, and lives, sometimes. A standardized extinguisher with easy exchange at the parts store or dealerships for currency (fire extinguishers have formal inspection and replacement cycle requirements) would obviously be too easy.
I am going to do just that, this is the 3rd time I've come across a car on fire since January. Tired of feeling helpless.
Anonymous 10:56 I have a bad habit of stopping to help folks. Mrs Cedar says its going to get me killed on day.
Fire extinguishers are required to be inspected each month. There should be a tag attached that is signed by an accredited or licensed person for each month. Then, the extinguisher must be replaced each year. There is a major industry that exchanges and rebuilds extinguishers for industry. 18-wheelers are required to have an extinguisher in reach of the driver. It is a real pain-in-the-neck and on-going expense for a teeny tiny extinguisher. In a private car, maybe just have one and don't talk about it. Replace/exchange it after using it. If the thing is operated even a little, replace it. Valves leak pressure, the stuff inside gells or solidifies eventually. An extinguisher rattling around loose can be damaged so it will not work or discharge and make a real mess. Many of the content substances are toxic. FWIW.
Bug eyed beasts? It's a Mercedes you moron. Original value is 60k, now the KBB value is almost 4K.
Post a Comment