Somerton/Cocopah crew extinguishes vehicle fire
Firefighters from the Somerton/Cocopah Fire Department responded to a vehicle fire Wednesday afternoon on Highway 95 at County 15th Street. The driver was not injured.
According to Capt. Javier Hernandez, the Somerton/Cocopah ambulance was on its way back to the station from Yuma Regional Medical Center when it came upon a mid-sized pickup truck on fire along the side of the roadway.
“The ambulance stopped to assist until the arrival of a fire engine,” Hernandez said.
When firefighters arrived on scene they found a GMC Sonoma pickup truck fully involved in flames. They quickly extinguished the fire using water with foam.
The truck was considered a complete loss since the engine and passenger compartments were destroyed by the fire.
Hernandez said the only occupant of the truck, a 27-year-old male, stated that he was traveling South on Highway 95 when he noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment.
The driver said he pulled over and tried to open the hood, but was not able to do so because the engine compartment was by then fully involved in flames.
The Somerton Police Department and Yuma County Sheriff Office assisted with traffic control on the highway until firefighters were able to clear the scene.