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Vehicle incinerated Sunday morning, no injuries reported

 

TRYON—On Sunday morning, a large tree fell in downtown Tryon, temporarily knocking out power and internet access for some businesses and residents. The tree fell across E. Howard Street, hitting the main power feed and pulling down lines as it landed on a vehicle parked at Stott’s Ford, starting a fire.

“The call came in at 2:40 a.m. The power line and trees were on fire and quickly ignited the gas tank on the car,” said Tryon Fire Department’s public information officer, Steven Siler. “Tryon Fire Department immediately responded to the scene and contacted Duke Power. We were unable to put water on the fire because the power was still alive, and there was heavy arcing in the area.” 

The vehicle the tree landed on, a Ford Edge, was incinerated. A second car was also damaged by the burning tree but did not explode.

Tryon Fire Department Deputy Chief Josh Connell was the incident commander, directing the emergency personnel in their fire response. Units from the Landrum and Gowensville fire departments also responded, and a total of eight fire personnel were on the scene. Duke Energy took approximately 35 minutes to arrive to cut the power off, officials say. At that point, the remaining fire and hot spots were quickly extinguished. 

Work continued throughout Monday to repair the lines and stabilize the corner.

“Thanks to the efforts of Landrum Fire Department for securing water and Gowensville Fire Department for structure protection, the fire did not extend to any additional property at Stott’s,” said Siler.

No injuries were reported.