Monday afternoon, around 4PM, the residents of 76th Street gathered and watched as a car erupted into flames on the corner of their block. Bystanders made their way outside when the strong smell of burning fumes made its way into their homes, only to find big, dark clouds of smoke and black BMW SUV on fire. A neighbor who was making her way home with her daughter, saw the owner of the vehicle on 69th Road, attempting to put out the fire by using a piece of cardboard. This only caused the flames to grow bigger. Unsure if the owner or anyone else called authorities, the woman with her daughter stopped and took it upon herself to call 911. She said in a statement, “I didn’t know if anyone else called and I didn’t know if the car was going to blow up”. When FDNY Engine Company 319 or “Lone Wolf”, arrived they worked diligently to subdue the flames, drenching each and every crevice of the burning BMW with water and even making sure to wet the nearby telephone pole that was smoking. There were no reported injuries and the cause of the fire is still unknown.
