Home News Local News Willow Beach senior loses prized truck to electrical fire

Willow Beach senior loses prized truck to electrical fire

July 8, 2019

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You know you’re having a bad day when your truck burns up in front of your house.

That’s what happened to Hector Basaez, 76, who lives with this family on Montsell Ave. in Willow Beach.

Just before 1 pm on July 3rd, Mr. Basaez was getting ready to tow his son’s boat, when he saw flames inside his prized 1996 GMC Suburban, which was parked in the driveway.

Mr. Basaez says the fire was probably caused by a faulty battery.

He tried to put the flames out with a fire extinguisher, but was worried that the gas tank — holding almost 140 litres — might explode. So, he called 911.

York Regional Police arrived within a few minutes, while the Georgina Fire Department took eight minutes to respond, according to Mr. Basaez.

By then, fire had engulfed the truck and there was little hope of saving it.

Mercifully, no one was hurt. But Mr. Basaez was devastated. “I loved that truck,” he said. “I will never get a truck like this anymore.”

“I’m a senior citizen and I always intended to keep the truck for us to go together,” he said. “But my truck went first. It’s going to be waiting for me somewhere. I just don’t know where.”

To add insult to injury, Mr. Basaez’s auto insurance doesn’t cover fire damage.