A car caught fire in the middle of a Columbia Pike intersection last night.
The carbeque happened around 8:30 p.m. Monday at the intersection of the Pike and S. Jefferson Street, near Arlington’s western border. Video shared with ARLnow (below) shows the car being driven while flames shoot from the engine compartment, before it finally comes to a stop and the flames and smoke intensify.
The car was fully engulfed, sending a column of dark smoke into the sky, by the time firefighters arrived on scene. Local residents gathered to watch the firefighting effort.
The video-taker said firefighters arrived remarkably quickly.
“They showed up almost immediately and quickly took care of the situation,” he said. “They seriously showed up within 5 minutes… the Arlington [County] Fire Department is seriously awesome.”
Both eastbound lanes of Columbia Pike were blocked for nearly an hour due to the blaze and the subsequent cleanup.
LOCATION: Columbia Pike/Jefferson St
INCIDENT: Fire Department Activity
IMPACT: Both E/B Lanes of Columbia Pike are blocked due to fire department activity. Seek an alternate route if possible. pic.twitter.com/ByuUBgd5QQ— Arlington Alert (@ArlingtonAlert) June 22, 2021
Photo courtesy Jason Sheldrake. Video courtesy anonymous.