Fire destroys car in downtown Columbus

Columbus firefighters battled a vehicle fire this morning near 8th and California streets.
Columbus firefighters battled a vehicle fire this morning near 8th and California streets.

Columbus firefighters battled a vehicle fire this morning that destroyed a car in downtown Columbus.

Capt. Mike Wilson, spokesman for the fire department said that the driver of the vehicle said her brakes suddenly stopped working just before 8:30 a.m. and when she pulled the car over near Eighth and California streets, she noticed smoke and flames.

Police tried to extinguish the fire but it continued to grow. Wilson said that firefighters were able to save some of the woman’s belongings, but the fire was hot enough to melt the windshield. The fire is believed to have started in the engine compartment due to a mechanical problem, Wilson said.

Wilson estimated the car’s value at about $7,000.