After President Joe Biden spent Thanksgiving on the Massachusetts island of Nantucket, the cars that the Secret Service rented for his visit caught on fire in the parking lot at the airport early on Monday morning.
According to the Nantucket Current, five cars were rented for the president from Hertz.
Less than 24 hours after they had been returned, they were ablaze, the report said.
It was around 5:22 a.m. when personnel at the airport noticed the fire in the parking lot of the rental cars, according to a news release from the Nantucket Airport.
Airport open following vehicle fire in car rental overflow area. @InkyM @ACKCurrent pic.twitter.com/3o048KtJRY
— Nantucket Airport (@AirportACK) November 28, 2022
Press Release. @InkyM @ACKCurrent @977ackfm pic.twitter.com/Nuwq6w054U
— Nantucket Airport (@AirportACK) November 28, 2022
By the time Nantucket firefighters and police arrived, the cars had sustained significant damage.
The cause of the blaze is under investigation, the report said.
“Staff activated the Alert system and responded to the fire in Airport-3, where they were met by responding units from Nantucket Fire Department and Nantucket Police Department. Combined fire resources responded and contained the fire,” the airport said.
Fortunately, no one was injured, the Current reported, and the fire did not reach jet fuel tanks that were just 40 feet away.
The Nantucket Airport tweeted early Monday to say it was closed because of the blaze. About 12 minutes later, however, the airport said it was open again.
The Current noted that one of the vehicles that caught fire, a Ford Expedition, had been recalled by the manufacturer for battery issues. For some 2021 vehicles, Ford said in its recall announcement, “there is a chance the battery junction box can cause a fire.”
The other vehicles in the fire were a Chevy Suburban, a Ford Explorer, an Infiniti QX80 and a Jeep Gladiator, the New York Post reported.
The Biden family was on Nantucket to celebrate Thanksgiving as it has done for about 40 years, according to the Post.
Those present included the president, first lady Jill Biden and their daughter, Ashley, The Associated Press reported. In addition, Biden’s son, Hunter, was there with his wife, Melissa, and their 2-year-old son, Beau.
There had been no comments from the Biden family or the administration about the fires as of early Tuesday.
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