Waddell Rd, Surprise, AZ
I was just trying to get gas. That’s it. Nothing dramatic. Until I pulled up to the Costco gas station on Waddell Road – and saw smoke coming from the hood of a Kia Sedona at the pump next to mine.
The driver was out, pumping gas on the other side of the vehicle. Another person ran over and grabbed the fire extinguisher from the wall and they both tried spraying under the hood. But then… the flames came. Fast.
They started shooting out from underneath – and this thing escalated in seconds. Costco employees hit the emergency shutoff for all the pumps and rushed over with another extinguisher, but it was already raging. The fire spread under the vehicle, both front tires popped from the heat, and the whole front was in flames. There didn’t seem to be anyone else in the car, thankfully.
The employees started shouting for everyone to leave – just in case it blew up. Which, honestly, felt very possible at that point. I backed away and started recording. (Because obviously.)
And then – sirens.
The fire crew from Surprise showed up fast. Within minutes, they had the fire out. No drama. No chaos. Just a team that clearly knew what they were doing, working together and handling business.
👏 Shoutout where it’s due:
- To the FIREFIGHTERS – incredible response, precision, and calm under pressure. You prevented what could’ve been a serious disaster.
- To the COSTCO STAFF – you moved fast, shut everything down, grabbed extinguishers, and got people away.
- And to the BYSTANDER WHO JUMPED IN TO HELP – that was brave and selfless.
Nobody was hurt. No one panicked. And a situation that could’ve been terrifying ended with scorched tires and a lot of smoke, but no injuries.
💭 That’s my kitchen table rambling for today. Maybe I’m overthinking it… or maybe — not. Share your thoughts — let’s figure it out together.
EN 
RU