VIDEO: Probationary Firefighters Battle Car Blaze

Two probationary firefighters received some real training fighting fires Tuesday morning when they responded to a car blaze on Sandy Point Avenue. 

Probationary firefighters Josh Berube and Ismael Biurrun responded, along with Chief Jeffrey Lynch and Capt. Michael O'Brien of the , to a car blaze on Sandy Point Avenue just after 11 a.m.

The driver of the vehicle smelled smoke and exited the pickup truck before firefighters arrived.

Crews quickly extinguished the blaze. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire appears to be accidental, said O'Brien. 

A motor vehicle crash in Middletown occurred at the same time as the car blaze. Members of the fire department were responding as mutual aide at the time. "They (the probationary firefighters) had to step up," O'Brien said. 

Sandy Point Avenue was also temporarily blocked to traffic during the response. Vehicles were directed to detour down Wapping Road. 

Fire officials said they were also concerned about the fire quickly spreading. However, the area surrounding the vehicle was "swampy," said O'Brien. 

The Department of Environmental Management has advised residents of a “red flag” fire warning, which is issued by the National Weather Service and in effect today.

Residents are advised to be cautious when disposing of wood, coal stove and fireplace ashes. Fires could spread rapidly today due to dry weather, gusty northwest winds and low relative humidity.