Car fire suspicious; investigation started

The cause of a car fire Sunday night in Colusa appears suspicious, investigators said Wednesday.

The blaze may have started inside the vehicle, but the official cause remains under investigation, said Buck Gonczeruk, Colusa’s assistant fire chief.

Flames chewed through a 2003 Hummer H2 on the 100 block of Yosemite Way just after 9:30 p.m. The vehicle was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived, Gonczeruk said.

A neighborhood resident alerted authorities and Gonczeruk said flames were extinguished within 15 minutes of the first report.

Damage was estimated at about $40,000 and the vehicle was a total loss, Gonczeruk said.

The vehicle is registered to Jose and Mary Torres of Colusa.

There are no suspects at this time, Gonczeruk said.

No injuries were reported and no other structures were threatened, Gonczeruk said.

The Colusa Fire Department is conducting a joint investigation with AAA insurance inspectors.

Anyone with information about the fire is asked to contact the Fire Department at 458-7721.