CORVETTE on FIRE! Encino Traffic Madness Firemen Policemen Traffic Horrible

Okay, so we're driving in the San Fernando Valley, heading west on Ventura Boulevard in the lovely city of Encino, when traffic stalls. In the distance, smoke arises from the line of cars ahead of us. The smoke competes with the bright late afternoon sun. There's a tragedy going on. Horrible. Horrible. Horrible.

My feet hit the sidewalk. My hands carry my camera. There it is: a gorgeous CORVETTE in FLAMES!

Firemen hurry to pour water over it. Policemen reroute the traffic. The smoke abates. The precious vehicle begins to smolder. Water falls from the wreck and slides into the gutters.

There's a car wash across the street. Is that ironic? This car will probably never see another washday.

An aggressive driver tries to pull too close to the emergency and threatens to drive over the water hoses. Authoritative shouts demand the driver to stop.

The Corvette's owner returns. A fireman asks him if he has anything of value inside to be removed before the fireman soaks the interior. Confusion remains. But the fire is out. The emergency is over.

We get back on the road and drive slowly past the scene. To this day I still wonder how the fire started, if the Corvette proved salvageable, and if Encino ever returned to normalcy?

(This incident occurred on Wednesday, September 14, 2016.)