GREENVILLE – The Greenville Police Department is investigating a Wednesday morning vehicle fire that may have begun as a result of fireworks. At approximately 4:50 a.m., emergency personnel from the Greenville Fire Department as well as officers from the Greenville Police Department were dispatched to the 900 block of Wayne Avenue in regards to a vehicle fire. Firefighters arriving on the scene found a 2000 Chevrolet Silverado with smoke and flames coming from the bed of the truck. According to Captain Brandenburg of the Greenville Fire Department, the fire is believed to have started in the bed of the truck where a mattress was stored in preparation for being discarded. Captain Brandenburg credits the fact that the Silverado’s truck cap being closed upon the arrival of fire crews as the likely reason the fire was unable to build and spread throughout the remainder of the vehicle.
A neighbor, who was awoken by a noise outside of his residence, reported that he woke sometime around 3:30 a.m., to the sound of fireworks going off in the neighborhood. He further explained that when he looked out his window he witnessed what appeared to be smoke coming from the rear of the truck and a vehicle speeding away. “All I saw at the time was smoke and thought it was just a smoke bomb going off. I continued watching until about 4:10 a.m., and I didn’t see any other cars or anything so I went back to bed,” he continued. “My wife woke me up about 4:50 a.m., and told me a truck was on fire so that’s when I called 911.”
Additional damage was found on the hood and windshield of a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox parked near the Silverado. Remnants of fireworks and or firecrackers could be found lying on the ground near both vehicles. Officers on the scene say the fire does appear to be suspicious in nature.
The fire will continue to remain under investigation by both the Greenville Police Department and the Greenville Fire Department.
