By Natalie Bazinet
Staff Writer
CARIBOU — Despite the best efforts of Caribou firefighters, there was no saving the 1985 Ford F150 pick-up truck after it burst into flames.
Contributed photo
Caribou Firefighter Captain Greg Belanger douses a fully involved 1985 Ford F150 on August 1st; as apparent in the photo, the truck was a total loss.
According to bystanders who witnessed the event, the truck had already started burning as it pulled into a Pioneer Street driveway in Caribou. A friend yelled to the driver, Gerald Nelson of Madawaska Lake, that his vehicle was on fire and Nelson fled the flaming vehicle with his passenger. Seconds later, the vehicle reportedly exploded, burst into a ball of fire and rolled back into the street.
It took two firefighters from the Caribou Fire and Ambulance Department about 10 minutes and 300 gallons of water to extinguish the truck.
“Apparently there was a short in the vehicle, which happens once in a while,” explained Caribou Fire and Ambulance Department Chief Roy Woods. “No one was hurt, but it was a total loss.”