Sunday Afternoon Car Fire

At one o'clock on Sunday afternoon I heard Pam shouting my name and knew it wasn't just a call for a leftover dessert. I rushed downstairs and saw a guest dipping a bucket into our pool to carry water to a car fire that had just started directly in front of our guest house. I grabbed the bucket but when I saw the flames reaching above our fence I knew that water was no match for this inferno. I told people to get back inside the gate due to the risk of explosions. Meanwhile I ran upstairs with my camera to capture the moment. This first picture was taken only about a minute after the fire started.


The second picture was looking down from the top of the roof but the heat was incredible even from the third storey. Fortunately the woman driving had stopped when she saw smoke rising from under her hood. Then when she saw the beginning of flames she ordered her 8 year old son out the passenger door while she jumped out without her shoes on and leaving her purse behind. She told us later it contained $1000. US plus Haitian money plus her passport and other documents. There was no time to retrieve it and although shaken, both her and her son were fine. Our guests all took protective cover as small explosions kept everyone on edge.

This is the front view as I put my hand with the camera through the razor wire. Just as I was holding it another explosion rang out and I was fortunate not to drop it on the sidewalk or rake my hand on the wire in my haste to bring it to safety.

The vehicle was a fairly late model Toyota. They apparently burn well but I suppose all models would perform equally in this scenerio. Meanwhile traffic on the street continued normally. This is the third car fire I've witnessed in the city so I suppose it becomes ho hum after awhile.

Twenty minutes after the beginning a firetruck arrived with siren blaring. I had never seen a firetruck in Port au Prince so I wasn't really expecting one. Notice that the fire is in it's latter stages.

I was struck by the lack of protective gear worn by the firefighters. The man with the coat was the only one I observed who had any covering. Notice the lack of gloves on the hands.

The water cooled the car quickly and the crowd moved in for a closer look. Not much salvageable but I'm sure the tin sculpters will make good use of the doors and hood for their excellent creations.

On the other hand, maybe it will just stay as a scupture unto itself outside the guest house for the next few months.

(remember to click on the pictures to enlarge)