February 21, 2009

Ditch the flaming family wagon, just save the Model T was the reaction of a couple on their way to Napier yesterday afternoon.
They saved their Art Deco automobile from exploding in an expensive fireball after the car towing it caught fire.
The out-of-town pair were taking their vintage Model T Ford south for the Geon Art Deco Weekend in Napier when their car caught fire on State Highway 5 when they were halfway from Taupo.
Napier truck driver Murray Faulkner was four cars behind when he rounded a corner and saw the flames.
'They managed to push it off the trailer while the tyres were exploding,' he said. 'It was well alight. The couple managed to get all their belongings out and get the car off the trailer. They were quite courageous.'
Other drivers could not get cellphone coverage but Mr Faulkner was able to call the Fire Service with a cellphone booster kit and fire crews arrived at 3.15pm.
'It was starting to burn the grass around it,' Mr Faulkner said. 'There was a forest nearby and the conditions were tinder-dry. I think that if the fire brigade hadn't got there when they did there could have been a big fire.'
Onlookers included passengers on an InterCity bus headed for Napier.
Mr Faulkner said in 26 years driving trucks he had never seen anything like it. His experience driving fuel tankers meant he was aware of the dangers.
'I told people to stand back because there was a tank of fuel in there and the whole thing could have exploded.'
Mr Faulkner suspected the fire was sparked by an overheated transmission or 'something on the exhaust'. 'It is quite a long haul going up there and the carpet had started burning inside the car so it would seem something has overheated.'