Downed power lines start fire that engulfs SUV in Arlington Heights

Storms that blew through the area on Tuesday night turned an SUV parked in a residential driveway in Arlington Heights into an inferno.

An Arlington Heights police spokeswoman said the strong winds caused tree branches to hit power lines near a house on the 600 block of North Dryden Avenue. The transformer exploded and the power lines fell on the parked car near the driver's-side door, starting the fire. The car was quickly engulfed.

The fire department initially could only monitor the flames and water the area around the car to prevent the spread of the fire.

ComEd arrived to shut off power to the area. Meanwhile, the intersection of Dryden Avenue and Euclid Avenue was closed for nearly two hours while the police and fire departments handled the situation.