“Without these firefighters, we may not have a gym this morning”
CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — A local business owner is thanking his lucky stars and commending local first responders after a car erupted in flames in his gym’s parking lot.
Brandon Garner, owner of RVA Iron Gym and RVA Iron Gym Chester, caught it all on tape from the gym’s security camera footage.
“Last night a car caught fire just a few yards away from our gym at the RVA Iron Chester location,” Garner said when posting the video on Instagram. “We’re very lucky nobody was hurt and the gym wasn’t damaged.”
The Chesterfield Fire Department said crews responded to 361 East Hundred Road for the report of the blaze. According to the timestamp on the video, the fire broke out just before 9 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 17, with the blaze quickly taking over the front end of the vehicle.
Once first responders arrived at the scene, the growing fire was quickly extinguished.
“Without these firefighters, we may not have a gym this morning,” Garner said. “A big thank you to the men and women who serve our community selflessly as first responders. I am definitely feeling grateful this morning.”
A spokesperson for Chesterfield Fire, Joe Harvey, said “based on the report” he believes the car to be a total loss. Harvey said at the time crews responded Sunday night, the owner of the car was not at the scene.