Hummer destroyed by fire after driver stockpiles gas

A Hummer caught fire on Wednesday in Citrus County, Fla., shortly after its owner filled up four gasoline containers, according to local firefighters.

Citrus County Fire Rescue told the Citrus County Chronicle that they responded to a call about a vehicle fire Wednesday morning. The driver of the vehicle had reportedly filled up the gas cans at a local Texaco Food Mart.

The driver of the vehicle was reportedly injured, but refused to be transported in order to receive medical attention, the Chronicle reported.

Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection was also notified about the incident and will schedule cleanup of the gasoline spill, a local ABC News affiliate reported.

The Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office is set to perform an investigation in order to determine the official cause of the fire, according to the Chronicle.

News of the fire comes as people across the country have begun to hoard gasoline in response to major fuel shortages and long lines caused by the Colonial Pipeline shutdown.

The company announced on Wednesday that it began a restart of its operations after a cyberattack forced the company to shut down late last week.

President Biden on Thursday called on Americans to have patience as the shortage wanes, encouraging them not to hoard fuel.

“Don’t panic,” Biden said on Thursday. “I know seeing lines at the pumps or gas stations with no gas can be extremely stressful, but this is a temporary situation. Do not get more gas than you need in the next few days.”

“We expect the situation to begin to improve by the weekend and into early next week and gasoline supply is coming back online,” he added. “Panic-buying will only slow the process.”