Burning Car Shuts Down Street: Plainfield Fire Department

PLAINFIELD, IL — A two-car crash on Route 59 early Friday morning, Dec. 13, caused a car fire that consumed one vehicle and closed the street between 135th Street and the Meijer parking lot. Luckily, Plainfield Fire Chief Jon Stratton said, no one was killed or seriously injured.

"About 10 to seven [Friday] morning we got a call for a car fire. When we pulled up on it, we had what we call a pretty 'well-involved' fire," Stratton said. "It was involved in a rear-end type accident; all the occupants were out of the vehicles, both occupants refused treatment."

It took firefighters about 20 minutes to put out the flames, Stratton said, during which time the road was closed and traffic was re-routed. It still is not clear what exactly caused the fire, but Stratton said he suspected a ruptured fuel line.

"It was the car that actually did the collision that caught on fire ... we think it probably had something to do with the fuel line," he said. "It pushed the hood up top, over the top of the motor."

Considering the damage and extent of the flames, Stratton said the driver of the burned vehicle was fortunate to get out alive, much less relatively unscathed.

"She was lucky she was able to get out of the car. She wasn't trapped in the car, which was good," he said.