Late Night Car Fire Claims Minivan

No one was injured early Monday morning after a minivan started on fire in the driveway of a Racine home in the 600 block of 18th Street.

The homeowner and his family were awakened shortly after midnight Monday when their dogs started barking and wouldn't calm down. 

When the man looked outside, he saw the red glow of his minivan on fire, according to Racine Fire Department Capt. Jeff Perkins.

The fire apparently started in the front seat area but quickly spread to engulf the vehicle, leaving it a total loss.

Anglea Cantu lives nearby, and she posted photos from the fire on Facebook. She said she looked outside when she heard a car horn that wouldn't stop.

"(We) looked at this car and it was glowing," she wrote. "So we went out there, but the cops said, 'Stay in your house.'"

Shortly after being told to go inside, Cantu said the car exploded.

"It was crazy and sad. I was just praying no one was in the car," she added.

The written release from Perkins states there were no injuries, but firefighters were concerned about how close the burning van was to the wood porch of the house.

"(It) threatened the wood front porch of the home before firefighters extinguished the fire," he wrote.

Damages are estimated at $5,000, making the van a total loss. The fire is still under investigation.