Car Catches On Fire In Downtown Buffalo, New York

What seemed like a regular ole Monday morning in Western New York became a little more exciting for one Buffalo driver and many people in downtown Buffalo.

Around 830 am on Monday, January 29, 2024, the Buffalo Fire Department responded to an emergency call regarding a car on fire in Lafayette Square.

The car, a white Jeep Grand Cherokee, was traveling westbound from Court Street when it entered Lafayette Square. It appears the car stalled, and a bunch of white smoke started to come from the engine. It was shortly thereafter that flames began to start shooting from underneath the hood.

We could see the fire from our studios, located right in Lafayette Square and across the street from the vehicle.

The emergency call resulted in two fire trucks responding, who arrived in a few short minutes to put out the fire. The driver, who remains unidentified at this moment, was shaken up from the incident but otherwise not injured.

Based on the fire's severity and the vehicle's condition after the fire was put out, the car is likely a total loss.

For the newest vehicles, non-crash fire claim frequency is about 1 per 10,000 insured vehicle years. However, by the time vehicles are 15 years old, their non-crash fire claim frequency increases to 5 claims per 10,000 insured vehicle years.
-Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI)

According to a report from the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI), while non-crash-related auto fires, on average, represent the largest type of financial damage in automobile losses, the fires themselves are pretty rare.

Cars 15 years old and older cause approximately 5 fires for every 10,000 vehicles on the road. This underscores the importance of making sure your vehicle is maintained correctly.

We're just glad the driver is ok.

Get our free mobile app