Caught on video: A pickup truck caught fire on 138th Avenue in east Vancouver, and the driver was able to drive the car to a safer location before escaping with no injuries

Paul Valencia
Clark County Today 

A hot day started off a little too hot for a driver in east Vancouver on Monday morning, but it appears the unidentified driver’s quick actions led to a safe outcome for all involved — except for the pickup truck.

Caught on surveillance video obtained by Clark County Today, a pickup truck took a hard right turn from 138th Avenue onto the lane that serves US Digital and Micropump, and then quickly came to a halt. The driver had noticed that the vehicle had caught fire.

“She recognized there was a problem. She gets it off the roadway, parks it, and while it’s on fire, jumps outs, grabs some stuff out of the car, then quickly runs to safety,” said Rey Reynolds, US Digital’s chief safety officer.

Flames could be seen underneath the vehicle while it was still in motion. The flames grew taller, closer to the driver’s side as the vehicle came to a stop. The driver can be seen shuffling away from those flames toward the passenger door, then escaping from the truck.

Seconds later, the vehicle was fully engulfed in flames, while traffic on 138th Avenue safely passed by the incident.

“She just kept her head on straight,” Reynolds said of the driver. “She deserves some accolades.”

Had she stopped on 138th, it would have posed a danger to others and at the very least caused a traffic nightmare.

Reynolds was also impressed by the firefighters who responded from the Vancouver Fire Department.

“They were there really quick. They were so awesome. They were right on the job,” Reynolds said. 

They did more than just put out the fire.

“They were absolutely fantastic. They took care of the driver, making sure she was alright,” Reynolds said. “They were all over it in a very powerful way.”

Reynolds also noted how appreciative all involved were to a bystander — known only as Felix — who stopped his car and rushed to the scene to comfort the driver.