ST. GEORGE — A U.S. Postal Service mail delivery truck went up in flames Tuesday afternoon at the corner of 2410 South and 1800 East in St. George.
At approximately 3:40 p.m., members of the St. George Fire Department responded to the area after receiving reports of a vehicle fire, St. George Fire Deputy Chief Kevin Taylor said. When firefighters arrived, they discovered the mail truck fully engulfed in flames.
“The crews went on a fast attack and extinguished the flames,” Taylor said. “The cause of the fire appears to be a mechanical failure in the engine compartment.”
The Postal Service employee driving the truck was out delivering mail when the vehicle began to have engine issues, Taylor said. The vehicle then caught fire. The man was able to escape the vehicle without any injures.
The mail truck still had a load of undelivered mail on board, Taylor said, and much of it was lost.
Postal Service employees responded to the scene and retrieved what mail and packages had not been consumed in the fire before the truck was removed from the scene by a tow truck.
Community members in the neighborhood were helpful throughout the course of the incident, Taylor said. Some exited their homes and helped keep people back from the flames while others helped direct traffic. This was a welcome help, he said, because traffic can often become congested during an incident like this.
“That’s always an issue when we have incidences,” Taylor said.
Members of both the St. George Fire and St. George Police departments responded to the scene and assisted with the cleanup efforts.
Medical personnel were originally paged to respond to the fire, Taylor said, but they were canceled when it was determined they would not be needed.
The area was cleared and traffic was allowed to proceed normally by approximately 4:40 p.m.
Taylor said when people find themselves in a situation where their vehicle catches fire, they should immediately exit their vehicle and call 911.
Click on photo to enlarge it, then use your left-right arrow keys to cycle through the gallery.
Emergency responders and neighbors examine the remains of a mail truck after a fire, St. George, Utah, April 21, 2015 | Photo by Devan Chavez, St. George News
Emergency responders and neighbors examine the remains of a mail truck after a fire, St. George, Utah, April 21, 2015 | Photo by Devan Chavez, St. George News
Emergency responders clean up the remains of a mail truck fire, St. George, Utah, April 21, 2015 | Photo by Devan Chavez, St. George News
Emergency responders and neighbors examine the remains of a mail truck after a fire, St. George, Utah, April 21, 2015 | Photo by Devan Chavez, St. George News
Emergency responders and neighbors examine the remains of a mail truck after a fire, St. George, Utah, April 21, 2015 | Photo by Devan Chavez, St. George News
A U.S. Postal Service mail delivery truck goes up in flames, St. George, Utah, April 21, 2015 | Photo courtesy of Tyler Tait, St. George News
Members of the St. George Fire Department spray water on a fully engulfed mail delivery truck, St. George, Utah, April 21, 2015 | Photo courtesy of Tyler Tait, St. George News
Related Posts
- Tanning bed fire destroys Hurricane fitness center, damages 2 other businesses
- 2 cabins destroyed by wildfire at Fishlake
- Police release details surrounding home fire that killed mother, 2 children, 2 pets
- UPDATE: Authorities release names of 3 house fire victims
Twitter: @STGnews
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2015, all rights reserved.
Hotmail.com
Dear IRS the check was in the mail so take it up with the USPS
Dear Taxpayer, your refund check has been processed and was sent in the mail. Good luck with that !