Cause of vehicle fire still unknown

A vehicle fire Tuesday in the Sidney Regional Medical Center (SRMC) parking lot still has an unknown cause.

Sidney Police and Fire departments were dispatched to SRMC Tuesday at approximately 11:50 a.m. to respond to a 2001 Lincoln Navigator on fire.

The car's owner, Jody Quintin, said she was inside SMRC at an appointment with her daughter and two grandchildren when an employee informed her that her vehicle was smoking.

Quintin said she is an employee of SRMC and the other employees knew what type of vehicle she owned.

"When I got to the vehicle it was smoking," Quintin said. "I unlocked it and grabbed my purse. By the time I went around to the other side to grab my daughter's purse I heard a big boom, and just got out of there. By then everything was popping, it was on fire."

Quintin said the vehicles around hers suffered damage as well, and a truck that was parked near her vehicle smoked for a few hours. Quintin said her vehicle was loaded up and taken away around 2:30 p.m.

"I have never had a problem with the car before, I got an oil change awhile back and a car stereo put in that was all," Quintin said.

LaVerne Bown, Sidney assistant fire chief, said approximately seven cars were damaged in the fire. Bowen said the cause of the fire is still unknown and will be determined in the fire marshal's report, which should be available in a week or so.