A car caught fire on the A 21 motorway between Hochstraß and Alland on Monday afternoon. The fire appears to have originated in the engine compartment while the vehicle was in motion. The occupants managed to pull over onto the emergency lane and exit the vehicle safely before the flames spread.
Employees from the ASFINAG Alland motorway maintenance depot noticed the fire and intervened immediately using on-board extinguishing agents and a powder extinguisher provided by first responders. This rapid response prevented the vehicle from becoming a total loss of life and contained the spread. The Alland volunteer fire department later arrived to extinguish remaining embers, which required forcing the hood open and using thermal imaging cameras.
The incident caused a temporary closure of the emergency lane and the first driving lane for approximately one hour. The damaged vehicle was eventually removed from the motorway using a crane. No injuries were reported.