A truck caught fire earlier this morning at 12th and P Streets NW, eventually leading to a small explosion as the gas tank succumbed to the flames. The truck was a rambling pickup that, along with its bed full of scrap wood, has been a neighborhood fixture for years. The single bike cop on the scene kept onlookers from walking down P and waited for the fire department as the fire spread from beneath the hood to envelope the cab and front tires. Eventually, fire personnel and additional police arrived; as they were setting up the hose, the truck’s gas tank exploded (previous exciting noises: the horn going off; the horn’s pathetic death squeak; and a long, loud hissing).

The fire was still smoldering when I left, according to cops on the scene, but all visible flames had been extinguished. Police speculated that debris under the parked truck may have been ignited by residual engine heat.

Video of the gas tank explosion captured below!