Pensacola Fire Department Goes Above and Beyond During Food Truck Fire Response 

Pensacola Fire Department crews are being commended for their thorough and professional response to a food truck fire this week, going above and beyond to minimize damage while safely extinguishing the fire. 

No one was injured in the fire, which occurred at the Rustyc Spoon food truck at approximately noon on Wednesday, Sept. 14 while it was parked in the 1400 block of West Government Street in Pensacola. 

Locating and extinguishing the fire required teamwork from everyone on scene. PFD Engine 4 and Ladder 11 responded to the call and found smoke coming from inside the food truck, acting methodically to locate the source of the smoke within the wood frame wall of the truck. 

PFD crews took great care to disassemble only what was necessary to locate and extinguish the fire. Rather than using hooks to rip off the plywood and cause further damage, crews used screw guns to carefully remove the plywood ceiling while working to locate the fire source.

"I am incredibly proud of our team for the level of professionalism they demonstrated in every phase of this response," Pensacola Fire Chief Ginny Cranor said. "Instead of ripping this truck apart, PFD crews worked with surgical precision – removing screws and panels to cause a minimum amount of damage. This is just one of many examples of Pensacola Fire Department's commitment to serving our citizens with compassion, while going above and beyond to provide the highest quality fire service."

In an effort to salvage as much as possible for the business owner, PFD crews also took the time to remove as many of the truck's contents as possible and cover the fryer and cooktop before opening the ceiling.

With no fire discovered in the ceiling and smoke conditions continuing to worsen, PFD determined that a hole needed to be cut into the truck's exterior, directly behind the fryer, to expose the fire. This required the use of several different saws and prying tools, which crews used with precision to locate and extinguish the fire while causing as little additional damage as possible. 

The professional efforts of the Pensacola Fire Department crews were recognized not only by PFD leadership, but also by the food truck's owner and operator, who expressed his gratitude for the care that was taken while locating and extinguishing the fire.