SANIBEL ISLAND, Fla. (WFLA) — As if regular hurricane clean-up wasn’t enough, firefighters in Sanibel Island had to deal with a large fire caused by a bunch of golf carts.
The Sanibel Fire District said about 15 golf carts had caught on fire in a paved area of the island Sunday afternoon.
The ensuing fire ended up causing a large smoke cloud that could be seen from a far distance away.
However, officials said no structure was affected by the fire, and it was put under control by crews from Sanibel Island and Bay County.
While the fire district didn’t mention the cause of the fire, vehicle fires have been an issue in areas hit by flooding by Hurricane Ian.
In Collier County, firefighters had to use over 1,500 gallons of water to put out a Tesla that caught on fire after the flooding.
The National Fire Protection Association said a consequence of flooding is the effect water, especially saltwater, has on vehicle batteries. As the batteries corrode, they then short-circuit and can cause an electric fire.
