Car fire doused in Vineyard Haven

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Tisbury firefighters extinguished an automobile fire on Center Street Monday evening. The car was in flames when firefighters arrived, about 9:30 pm. Heavy smoke drifted over the street for a short time.

The vehicle was parked just off Main Street, in the downtown business district, directly adjacent to the partially constructed Café Moxie restaurant.

According to a police report, Kathleen Cimeno, owner of the gray Chrysler Sebring, parked her car about 5 pm. She lives in a nearby apartment and saw her vehicle fully involved after she was alerted by teenagers yelling in the street below her window. Another resident of a nearby apartment said she heard a loud pop, then saw a small fire in the rear seat of the vehicle, that spread quickly to the rest of the interior.

Ms. Cimeno told police she had no idea how the fire could have started.

Because of the threat that the fire could spread through the congested streets, all five Tisbury fire trucks responded, including the aerial platform truck. The fire department is investigating the cause. The vehicle was a total loss.

A July 4, 2008 fire that originated at Café Moxie destroyed that building, and heavily damaged the Bunch of Grapes bookstore next door.

“It’s a lousy place for a fire,” said the fire chief, John Schilling.