AMHERST — One vehicle was destroyed and a second vehicle sustained heavy damage after their engines erupted in flames in about a 12 hour-period over the weekend.
The Amherst Fire Department responded at 7:12 p.m. Friday to Northampton Road when a 2007 Mazda CX-7, which the owner told police she had recently purchased, caught on fire.
The woman was able to safely get out from the vehicle and the fire was extinguished, but only after destroying most of the vehicle.
At 7:21 a.m. Saturday, a 2014 Ford Escape sustained heavy damage when a fire began in its engine while being driven on Belchertown Road. Firefighters extinguished the fire, which was contained to the engine compartment.
Both vehicles were towed.
Fire Chief Walter “Tim” Nelson said neither fire was out of the ordinary or suspicious, though he observed that getting two car fires in such a limited time frame is unusual.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
