Miami-Dade Gas Pump Arson Under Investigation
A gas pump burst into flames at a Chevron station on Bird Road in southwest Miami-Dade early Thursday morning, and the person accused of intentionally setting it ablaze fled before deputies arrived.
The fire broke out around 2:10 a.m. at the station located at 8698 SW 40th Street. Officials said the suspect deliberately set fire to the pump before fleeing the scene, and arson detectives are now trying to identify the person responsible.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crews responded quickly and knocked down the flames before they could spread. The station's proximity to Fire Rescue Station 3 in Tropical Park likely helped crews reach the scene fast enough to prevent more extensive damage.
This is not the first time Miami-Dade deputies have investigated a deliberately set fire at a gas station this year. In February, deputies arrested a woman at an Exxon on NW 79th Street after she allegedly removed fuel nozzles to ignite them and threatened customers.