UPDATE, 6pm: WORKERS from an asphalt company have come to the aid of a taxi driver, whose vehicle caught alight in the middle of a road in Sailors Gully.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Eaglehawk Fire Brigade Captain Hayden Allen said the workers used their nearby water truck to help suppress the fire until CFA units arrived.
Roadworks were underway at the time.
“We really appreciate them getting in, but just remind them that if doing to, it’s probably best to hop out of the smoke,” Mr Allen said.
“Stay upwind from the smoke and wait until we get here with our breathing apparatus to be able to get in and get the fire out.”
Firefighters from Bendigo and Eaglehawk responded to the fire.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Mr Allen said the driver of the maxicab pulled up after hearing some odd noises coming from under the bonnet.
“The next minute smoke started pouring out from around the gearbox area,” the brigade captain said.
A tow truck had arrived to remove the vehicle from Sailors Gully Road, clearing the scene so it could be re-opened to traffic.
EARLIER: A taxi has caught fire in the middle of a Sailors Gully road this evening.
Emergency services are on the scene of the incident, near the corner of Sailors Gully Road and Lester Street.
Police are directing traffic, with Sailors Gully Road closed in both directions.
Firefighters are working to extinguish the fire, which began in the maxicab about 4.45pm.
Video captured by passers-by shows smoke billowing from inside the cabin of the taxi.
Ambulance officers are assessing the driver, who is smoke-affected.
There were no passengers at the time of the incident.
A CFA spokesperson said the driver first noticed the vehicle making noises before smoke appeared around the gearbox.
The cause of the fire is not yet known.
More to come.