Driver escapes burning car on Belmont Road

LACONIA – The Laconia Fire Department was dispatched to a car fire near the intersection of Routes 106 and 107 at about 9:30 Monday morning, where firefighters found a vehicle heavily involved in flames on Belmont Road, close to the rear of Granite State Glass. 

The operator of the car said he was driving down Route 106 when the car began to not run right and started filling with smoke, according to a news release from the fire department. The driver was able to exit the vehicle without being injured. 

Shortly after firefighters started extinguishing the fire, the car’s gas tank or fuel line failed, causing burning fuel to run from the car. Fire was then extinguished using a mixture of water and foam mixture.

The exact cause of the fire is unknown but appears mechanical. Traffic was diverted around the scene by LPD and the Belknap County sheriff's office for approximately two hours. The state Department of Environmental Services was called in due to the spilled fuel, and the Department of Transportation was called in to look at damage in the road caused by the fire. 

Due to multiple calls in the city, Gilford Fire Department and Meredith EMS provided coverage to Laconia's Central Fire Station. 

No injuries were reported and all companies cleared by 11:22 AM.