News : Mechanical fire spreads from pickup to several other cars at VSHS parking lot

Willow Huber inspects damage to her vehicle after the 6-vehicle fire Tuesday at VSHS.

Firefighters put out the last of several vehicle fires at the VSHS parking lot.

Students examine the damaged vehicles.

Six vehicle were damaged when one caught fire and the flames spread.

Hoods were opened to allow firefighters to spray water on the fires.

A fireman helps clean up the area after the fire was put out.

Willow Huber kept this melted license plate as a souvenir of the fire that damaged her minivan.

Several tow trucks removed damaged vehicles after the VSHS parking lot fire Tuesday.

The heat and flames from the pickup truck damaged this car next to it.

More views of the day and the damage...

The heat and flames from the pickup truck damaged this car next to it.

A parade of tow trucks and insurance agents were en route to Vinton-Shellsburg High School this afternoon after a fire caused by mechanical problems significantly damaged or destroyed several vehicles.

A pickup truck belonging to Logan Halstead caught fire and the flames spread to the car to the left, owned by Matt Walston, and the minivan to the right, belonging to the Huber family and driven to school by Willow Huber. Three vehicles behind the pickup truck were also significantly damaged.

Parents of the affected students had already begun arriving to help deal with the issue. Several students also captured the event with their cell phone cameras.

Firefighter Dennis Bramow said the truck was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived, and that the flames had already begun spreading to the other vehicles.

Although the incident comes just two school days after Friday's bomb threat, Principal Kirk Johnson said he is certain the fire was accidental in nature.

"She'd been having mechanical problems," said Johnson.