SHELBURNE — A Vermont man driving to Boston on Route 2 Saturday started to see smoke coming from below his seat, prompting him to pull over in the parking lot of Shelburne Coffee Roasters.
That’s when he realized it was more than smoke, as flames started to come from below him, authorities said. He briefly tried to put it out with his hands, but instead called for help and stepped out of the vehicle.
His car shortly thereafter burst into flames, eventually leaving nothing salvageable, Shelburne Fire Chief John Taylor said. He thinks the fire started with an electrical problem.
Once Taylor and a team of about six firefighters came to the coffee roasters, they were able to get the fire under control within about 10 minutes, at around 9:20 p.m., he said. Shelburne and Massachusetts State police from the nearby Shelburne barracks also responded.
The Vermont man was left with minor burns to a couple of his fingers, but other than that, he was fine, Taylor said. The coffee roasters building was not damaged, although the fire crew was worried at first that the blaze could spread there.