Photo Gallery: Flames Engulf Car on Denow Road

A fire that started in the engine compartment of a Mercedes C280 gutted the vehicle and forced authorities to shut down Denow Road in Lawrence Township for about 45 minutes Sunday afternoon (Aug. 12).

It was about 12:15 p.m. when township police and volunteer firefighters from Lawrenceville Fire Co. were alerted to the blaze.

Initially dispatched to the intersection of Denow and Federal City roads, emergency personnel soon located the blaze on Denow Road near the corner of Melvina Drive. The front of the car was engulfed in flames, sending up a column of smoke that could be seen from both Interstate 95 and Route 206.

While firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze, police officers from Lawrence Township and Hopewell Township temporarily closed Denow Road to traffic between Lawrenceville-Pennington Road and Federal City Road.  

The vehicle’s owner, a woman from Bordentown, told firefighters she was driving along Denow Road when the radio and dashboard lights suddenly flickered and then went out. Moments later, smoke began billowing from the engine compartment, the woman said, so she pulled over, got out of the car, and called 911.

Follow Lawrenceville Patch on Facebook, Twitter and sign up for the daily newsletter.