Saturday morning started out just as expected...breakfast and good fellowship at the TCC - Dallas meeting at IHOP in Grapevine. About half way home, I was cruising along in my rarely used 5th gear when I sensed the smell of something burning. I kept checking my gauges, but
oil pressure and temperature were normal as the smell grew stronger.
Suddenly, ahead of me I saw the source. A Ford pickup about a quarter mile ahead of me was making a quick departure to the right shoulder with the cargo bed fully engulfed in flames. I quickly followed and figured my Halotron fire extinquisher would be useful. I quickly stopped, unlatched the bottle and in my haste to exit the car and my excitement to become a hero firefighter, I didn't step quite far enough out onto the ground. The next sensation was the sidepipe blistering the back of my left ankle, but was able to pull away before it took off the skin. I regrouped and went to fight the fire.
There were about 4 cardboard boxes full of files, brochures and papers on fire and the little 1 lb bottle did not last very long, but did slow down the flames enough to allow the truck owner to pull/kick (melted his tennis shoes) the boxes from under his diamond plate truck box, out of the bed and onto the pavement. We finally got all the flames out with the help of about 4 other motorists and 3 fire extinquishers.
By now, my ankle was starting to hurt and figured it was time to move on. The pickup truck owner shook my hand & thanked me and commented that I drove the sweetest fire truck he had ever seen.
I guess I am no longer a "Cobra Rookie" as I now have my first "Snakebite". Just another day in Cobraland.
