Patrick Farrell, a Fire Captain at Rocky View County Fire Services said that the May 5th car fire near Cross Iron Mills Mall, in the Northbound direction of the QEII highway, that was reported, had been a BMW. 

“The car was fully involved. Two trucks from station 107 responded, which is our Balzac fire station. The single occupant self-extricated,” he said. “They had a battery light that came on in the city. He called his dad and wanted to know what to do. He got a little bit of smoke on the way home and he pulled over.” 

Captain Farrell said the car was totalled as a result of the fire. Due to the smoke that had travelled down the highway, the situation looked dangerous, however, he said that if drivers witness a vehicle on fire or smoke being emitted from a car, it’s important not to panic. 

“Give the car and the driver as much room as possible, because sometimes you might have good Samaritans; carrying their own type of fire extinguishers,” Captain Farrell said. “Expect emergency services such as RCMP, ambulance and fire to arrive right away. So always be cognizant, and on the lookout for them when travelling by those cars.” 

He explained that car fires are considered quite ‘dirty’ in that there are toxic fumes and synthetic materials that make the smoke appear so black and foreboding. 

“The smoke is really, really bad to breathe in and once they're [the car] on fire, they're basically a write-off.” 

No injuries were reported.  

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