A vehicle owned by a Huntingburg couple was considered a total loss Saturday evening when officials with the St. Henry Volunteer Fire Department say high winds caused a utility pole to fall on top of the car causing power lines to land on the vehicle as well and ignite the car’s tires and front bumper.
Around a quarter till 7 Saturday night, St. Henry Firefighters were called to the 10-thousand block of County Road South 200 West where St. Henry Fire Chief Steve Eckert says an electric utility pole broke off and pulled down lines on top of the car owned by Shawn and Sandy White who lived at the address where the incident took place.
St. Henry Fire Chief Steve Eckert says the couple was not home when the pole fell on the car.
Eckert says the fallen pole arched out and caused the vehicle’s tires to explode and caused the entire car to become electrically charged burning wires and and again igniting tires.
Eckert says the tires burning up front started the car’s plastic front bumper on fire.
Firefighters used a dry extinguisher upon arrival and from a safe distance extinguished the rear wheels. Eckert says live power lines were still on the ground when a crew from the Huntingburg Electric Utility arrived on the scene.
They were able to disconnect the line and isolate the area when they approached the vehicle in order to finish extinguishing the front bumper area.
Eckert says the White’s car is a total loss.
Four trucks and 11-men were on the scene for about 35 minutes.
