The Columbus Fire Department was dispatched at approximately midnight on Feb. 13th, 2023, to Husker Helicopter in the 41800 block of 48th Avenue to a report of an ambulance on fire.
When fire crews arrived, according to Columbus Fire Chief Ryan Gray, they found a Priority Medical ambulance heavily on fire. Crews were able to make a quick knockdown of the fire.
The ambulance was a total loss, the chief noted. There were no injuries reported.
During the fire, one or more of the onboard oxygen tanks exploded, which caused some moderate damage to the nearby structure.
The ambulance crew stated that there was an electrical error message displayed on the unit and they began to smell smoke. Moments later they noticed that the ambulance was on fire and called the fire department.
“Thankfully the ambulance crew recognized the potential problem and parked the unit outside instead of in the ambulance bay where they normally park,” Columbus Assistant Fire Chief Nathan Jones said. “If they had parked the unit inside there would have been a much greater potential for significant structural damage and injuries”.
The fire was deemed to be electrical in nature.
(ABOUT THE PHOTO: The Priority Medical ambulance that caught fire is pictured on Monday morning.)