BUFFALO, N.Y. — Neighbors caught the dramatic images on cell phone video Sunday morning. Flames and black smoke billowing from the cab windows of a private snow plow truck, on fire at the intersection of Tacoma and Wellington in North Buffalo.
The driver of that truck was able to escape thanks to the help of some city employees.
It was Mayor Byron Brown who told reporters that afternoon that two of the people who helped rescue the driver work with Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority.
"The driver had some kind of leg injury, I'm told," explained Brown at a press conference about the winter storm and road conditions, "and was not able to exit the vehicle comfortably on his own. It was very fortunate that the two BMHA employees came on the scene and were able to get the driver out of the vehicle. If that had not occurred, we might be dealing with a different circumstance, right now."
Neighbors on Tacoma helped 2 On Your Side track down the men who lived close by. They're a father and son.
While we spoke briefly with the son, he didn't have much to say about the experience, only that he and his father were just two of a number of people who helped rescue the driver.
At its height, flames were shooting out the cab windows with black smoke billowing.
The plow truck was privately owned and operated, and the driver was able to get out before the flames spread thanks to those neighbors who stepped in to help.
We're told firefighters were able to take down the fire pretty quickly, and put salt down to take care of the resulting icy conditions left behind by all the water sprayed on the fire.
It's still not clear what started the fire.