Harford firefighters' plans to replace an aging rig just got pushed up.
After going over a bump in the road, an apparent electrical issue sparked a fire in the cab of the 2001 American LaFrance Eagle
"Something went down behind the officer's seat where the main electrical comes into the truck and shorted out the electrical system...With that many batteries and everything going to it, we had sparks and flame almost immediately,” said Harford Fire Chief Chad Batzel told WNEP.
The crew escaped without injury.
"We did attack the fire with a purple K extinguisher, but unfortunately, the rapid-fire growth, the extinguisher just wasn't enough."
Batzel thanked neighboring firefighters for their quick response, adding that they saved valuable equipment including new hose.
"I mean, we've been talking about needing to replace this truck in the future just because of its age. But we weren't really ready to let it go this way,” said Batzel.
