UPDATED: Burlington Hotel Evacuated after Van Filled with Propane Tanks Catches Fire

Photos Courtesy John Guilfoil Public Relations

BURLINGTON, MA - Members of the Burlington Fire Department quickly put out a large van fire at a hotel Wednesday afternoon, preventing injuries to the public and damage to the building.

Fire Chief Steve Yetman says his department received a 911 call at 12:15 p.m. about a van on fire in a parking lot at the Hyatt House Hotel located at 2 Van de Graaff Drive.

Firefighters arrived moments later, as heavy smoked filled the air and large flames engulfed the back of the vehicle, which was parked six feet from the building. Firefighters were able to quickly put out the blaze, preventing the fire from spreading. The hotel was briefly evacuated.

The vehicle, which was unoccupied at the time and is believed to be a plumber's van, had two MAPP gas tanks inside, one of which exploded. MAPP gas is commonly used by plumbers for soldering. Once the fire was contained, firefighters removed the remaining tank from the van.

"Due to the immediate action of police and firefighters, we were able to rapidly extinguish and contain this fire while preventing any other chemicals from going off," Chief Yetman said. "We're thankful that no one was injured."

The van was badly damaged and towed from the scene. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Burlington Police and Fire Departments.

A video of Burlington Fire Captain Scott Carpenter explaining the incident can be found here.