Passengers smelled smoke and jumped out as stuck SUV caught fire on Outer Banks beach

Derelict boats are known to wash up on Outer Banks beaches, but visitors to Cape Hatteras on Friday were confronted by the gutted remains of an SUV, Cape Hatteras National Seashore reports.

The vehicle caught fire Friday morning on a section of beach that is used by off-road vehicle enthusiasts, officials said.

Passengers were in the vehicle when it caught fire just south of Avon, but all escaped, officials said.

Photos shared by the National Park Service show the vehicle’s tires were mired several inches in sand when it became fully engulfed in flames.

The Avon Volunteer Fire Department extinguished the fire, and the burned frame was towed away later in the day, officials said.

The cause was not explained, but park officials suggested the incident was connected to improper tire pressure. Lowering tire pressure in an off-road vehicle prevents the wheels spinning endlessly in the sand, experts say.

“Fortunately, passengers in this destroyed vehicle smelled smoke and quickly got out before sustaining serious injuries,” David Hallac, superintendent of National Parks of Eastern North Carolina, said in the release. “The Seashore strongly recommends that tire pressure be lowered to at least 20 psi before driving on designated ORV routes in order to decrease stress on vehicles and help maintain travel conditions for other drivers.”

Cape Hatteras National Seashore has multiple sections of beach reserved for off-road vehicle drivers, who must pay permit fees and follow strict safety guidelines. A fire extinguisher is among the items the park recommends drivers bring with them.

This story was originally published September 10, 2021 at 6:10 PM with the headline "Passengers smelled smoke and jumped out as stuck SUV caught fire on Outer Banks beach."