A Vancouver couple narrowly escaped death after their motorhome burst into flames while driving through Winnipeg Saturday morning.
The couple, too shaken to speak to reporters, were driving to Ontario to visit family when they said their recreational vehicle stopped on Highway 1 at around 10:30 a.m.
The vehicle then suddenly caught fire.
Fortunately for the couple, Winnipeg RCMP were patrolling the route when they came upon the blazing RV.
“As we looked in this direction, we could see a big cloud of dark smoke,” said Const. Cliff Halaburda. “We rolled up onto the scene and then what we saw was just an inferno of flames.”
No one was injured in the fire, according to police, but the motorhome was completely gutted along with a car the couple was towing behind it.
The couple managed to escape, salvaging just a single drawer from the vehicle.
The accident halted traffic on the highway as crews worked to put out the blaze, which spread to the grass alongside the highway.
“Once we were here, it only took about ten minutes to actually start knocking it down,” said Reynolds Fire Department Chief Tom Nixon.
Crews quickly extinguished the fire before it spread to the bush.
The couple has now been escorted to Winnipeg by RCMP to help them make arrangements for the rest of their trip.
Investigators say the fire was likely caused by a mechanical issue.
With files from CTV Winnipeg's Rajeev Dhir
