A Honda Civic caught fire in a downtown parking lot Friday afternoon, Oct. 17.
The fire, which apparently started in the Civic's engine, burned hot enough to melt the car's front bumper, headlights and dashboard and shatter its windshield. The car was parked off Post Office Avenue and was unoccupied at the time. No one was injured.
The car's owner, looking shaken, took out several personal belongings, including a child's car seat, before the melted car was towed away.
Andover Public Safety received a 911 call around 4 p.m. that day from a Post Office Avenue business, said fire Lt. Robert Stabile. The owner had parked the Civic in the lot before going into a nearby hair salon, he said.
The Fire Department had the fire out within three or four minutes of the call, said Stabile, spraying the four-door with water. Although the brief fire engulfed the Civic in flames, cars parked on either side of the car were not damaged.
Firefighters continued to spray the steaming car with water for a short time afterward to cool it. Ashes filled the air, and the car's hood was warped and bent back, revealing the charred remains of the engine.
"The engine compartment was burned, and the car is totaled," said Stabile. "We'll let insurance take it from here."
