Cruiser bursts into flames at Quincy police station

QUINCY, MA (WHDH) – A Quincy police cruiser was reduced to a charred shell Monday morning after it suddenly burst into flames.

The police department tweeted a video at 11 a.m. that showed a cruiser burning in the station’s parking lot.

“We could hear the horn just going constantly. I assume it was melting,” said passerby Nicole Doyle. “There was a lot of smoke.”

Police Captain John Dougan says an officer had just parked the cruiser when he noticed the car was smoking. In a matter of minutes, the 2015 Ford SUV was engulfed in flames.

“He went to shut the car off and he noticed flames coming up from the back end of the vehicle,” Dougan said.

The officer was able to escape unharmed, but was not able to retrieve any belongings or reports from inside the car.

Crews responded to the scene, but firefighters were forced to fight the flames from behind a wall because an M16 rifle was melting and shooting off rounds.

Video taken after the fire showed nothing but the cruiser’s charred remains. The inside was totally blackened and burned beyond recognition.

“We’re not sure what the cause was,” Dougan said. “I’m surprised myself how quickly this vehicle went up in flames.”

Police say they don’t believe the fire was suspicious. The cause is under investigation. No injuries were reported.

Police valued the SUV at more than $35,000.

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