Fire engulfs car in South Whidbey parking lot

Published 1:30 am Friday, October 7, 2022

Shoppers and employees were treated to a fiery spectacle Thursday morning at Ace Hardware in Freeland.

Firefighters from South Whidbey Fire/EMS responded to a burning Volkswagen in the store’s parking lot around 8:35 a.m. on Oct. 6.

No injuries were reported, according to Division Chief Joseph Dilley, but the car is a total loss.

“We are not certain of the cause of the fire, however, it appeared to be electrical in nature,” Dilley said. “Our crews worked quickly placing extinguishing agent on the seat of the fire, which swiftly controlled the fire.”

No other cars were affected, since the parking lot was nearly empty. The scene was cleared and the car towed out of the parking lot thanks to assistance from the Island County Sheriff’s Office.

Firefighters were able to track down the car’s owner, who was on scene and spoke with the sheriff’s office about the incident.