The San Luis Obispo Fire Department received a call at approximately 6:20 p.m. this evening from a driver reporting that their car had caught on fire on the top level of the Poly Canyon Village parking structure by the Canyon Post Office.
Two fire trucks and police vehicles arrived at the scene within the next four minutes and the fire was contained in the following 10 – 15 minutes by two firefighters. No one was injured at the scene.
“We’re still investigating the cause of the fire, but most likely: mechanical,” Fire Captain Steve Gonzalez said.
The engine compartment of the car caught on fire, causing the fire to spread inside the cab and exterior, but it did not burn beyond the car.
“The fire was just contained to the vehicle itself with no other vehicles around that were involved with either smoke or fire,” Gonzalez said.
PCV resident and sophomore Edgar Medina was walking back from class and saw the cloud of smoke. He went to investigate and saw a gray minivan in flames.
“I went up to it to make sure my car was okay and then I backed up. [I] heard 2 pops under the hood until the cops came and told me to evacuate,” Medina said.
Gonzalez talked about how the driver responded to the fire while calling 911, and how it compares to what he would suggest.
“The driver of the vehicle called 911 quickly, stayed away, didn’t try to extinguish the fire which we don’t want you to do,” Gonzalez said. “Only when you are trying to save yourself or somebody else. It is best just to stay away and do exactly what [they] did and remain calm and call 911 and told us [their] location.”
Correction: Steve Gonzalez’s title and name spelling has been corrected.