Fire Safety: What to do if your vehicle catches fire

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - According to Tyler Fire Marshal Joey Hooten, one out of eight fires the fire department responds to is a vehicle fire.

“If under your hood you see flames, most of the time you yourself are not going to be able to put that out,” Hooten said.

In the event your vehicle catches fire, Hooten says you should pull over and move to a safe location away from the vehicle. “Most of the time if you see smoke, you have plenty of time to pull over,” Hooten said. “Get yourself to the side of the road, get your family out, call 911.”

Both Hooten and Stewart Automotive owner Gary Stewart tell us the usual suspect behind a vehicle fire is improper maintenance.

“If you see smoke, if anything starts acting peculiar in your car that smells weird, or see something that looks like somet