INWOOD — A car caught fire on Seaman Avenue Friday morning, forcing firefighters to block off the street, the FDNY said.
The fire department responded to the call around 10:21 a.m. at West 215th Street and Seaman Avenue, extinguishing the blaze within about 10 minutes, officials said.
The owner of the Honda Civic tried to fight the fire himself but backed off when he saw the flames growing.
"I pulled out a fire extinguisher from the trunk, but it was already too late," said Juan Pacheco, who works as the building superintendent for 260 Seaman Ave, adding that residents called him shortly after the fire started near the tires.
Firefighters arrived shortly thereafter, he said.
Witness Gabriel Kinder said the fire could have been a lot worse but that fire crews arrived at the scene "almost immediately."
"I saw the smoke as I was walking up Seaman," Kinder said. "When I arrived, there was concern the car was about to explode."
Pacheco said his son Jensen was the last person to use the car early Friday.
"I didn't smell or hear anything," Jensen said.
“I use it all the time to take my daughter to college,” Pacheco added, stating he's had the car for almost a decade.
Pacheco said he was distraught about the fire, but glad there was no damage to the interior. He said firefighters broke the rear and side windows to make sure the fire was completely out.
"Thankfully, no one was hurt," he said.
