By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune News Editor

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

A YOUNG man leapt into action yesterday, saving his coworker’s car from being engulfed in flames during a chaotic fire off Shirley Street and Dowdeswell Street.

The blaze erupted shortly after 2pm. Witnesses said it started at the base of a tree before quickly spreading. Some believed the extreme heat sparked it, while others suspected something may have been thrown at the tree. Within minutes, flames consumed it and threatened nearby vehicles.

Steven Desinord, an employee at The SignMan, leapt into action. As the Nissan Note began catching fire, he jumped inside and moved it to safety.

“It was my coworker’s car,” he told The Tribune, suggesting he felt he had no choice.

His split-second move drew applause from coworkers and bystanders as firefighters arrived after the blaze had already been extinguished.

The car was badly damaged, scorched along one side. Its owner, who had purchased it within the last year, stood devastated, unsure if insurance would cover the loss.

Bystanders rushed in with extinguishers — including one from The Tribune — to stop the flames.

The cause of the fire remains uncertain. Witnesses recalled that last year, workers asked Bahamas Power and Light to cut down the same tree because it was touching an electrical line.