It’s every winter sports enthusiast’s nightmare: you’re almost there, the mountains are in sight, and then something goes wrong. A Dutch family experienced an anxious adventure this morning on their way up the Serfauser Landesstraße in Austria. Their car caught fire during the climb to the top.
Smoke under the hood
On Saturday morning, February 14, around 7:50 am, a 33-year-old Dutchman drove with his family towards their holiday destination. On board were his 35-year-old wife and their two children, aged 7 and 5. As the car climbed the altitude meters, the driver suddenly noticed a penetrating burning smell. Shortly afterwards the engine power was lost. The man managed to stop the car at (turn 3) towards Fiss and did not hesitate for a moment. When he opened the hood, flames were already shooting out.
Family and luggage saved, car lost
Thanks to the father’s quick action, the incident ended well for the occupants. He managed to get his wife, children and even all the holiday luggage safely out of the car before the vehicle was completely engulfed in flames. Although it may have been quite frightening, the family was fortunately unharmed.
Road closed for two hours
The volunteer fire brigade Fixed responded with large equipment: five vehicles and no fewer than 40 emergency workers arrived on the scene to fight the fire. Due to the fire-fighting and subsequent recovery work, Serfauser Straße had to be completely closed for approximately two hours. Traffic was diverted via Ladiser Straße.
In addition to the fire brigade, the police, the road manager and a towing company were also present to make the road safe again. We hope that the family can still have a nice holiday despite the bad start!
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date:2026-02-14 18:38:00
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