ABILENE, Texas — The Snyder Fire Department obtained a new fire engine just this June. The unit was a 2019 Ferrara 1250 gpm Class-A Pumper.
It was taken to a chassis manufacturer for warranty work, when a tire caught fire last Thursday afternoon near the Taylor/Jones county line.
"The mechanic was taking it on a test drive and some kind of mechanic malfunction happened, the vehicle ended up catching on fire,” Snyder FD Marshal, Nathan Hines, said.
The new fire engine was engulfed in flames but was able to be contained after a few hours with the help of the local first responders.
No injuries were reported, and no Snyder fire department members were inside the vehicle when the incident happened.
The loss of the fire engine was roughly $350,000. That total doesn’t include the equipment in the vehicle.
"Well we have all different size hoses, we have fans, we have ladders, we have generators,” Hines said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. The Snyder FD is currently working on getting a replacement vehicle.