Five cars rented by Secret Service for Biden vacation catch fire, are destroyed

Five cars rented by the Secret Service during President Joe Biden’s Thanksgiving vacation in Nantucket burst into flames at an airport a day after they were returned, according to a Secret Service spokesman.

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Anthony Guglielmi, said the vehicles were rented from a Hertz outlet at the Nantucket Memorial Airport for use during the president’s family vacation over the Thanksgiving holiday.

The fire happened the day after the cars were returned, according to the Nantucket Current. None of the Biden family members rode in the vehicles, Guglielmi said.

According to the Current, the cars that were heavily damaged or destroyed included a Chevy Suburban, a Ford Explorer, a Ford Expedition, a Jeep Gladiator and an Infiniti QX80.

“At approximately 5:22 am Airport shift staff observed an active fire in the rental car overflow area through the Airport’s Closed Circuit Television System,” the airport said in a statement. “Staff activated the Alert system and responded to the fire in Airport-3, where they were met by responding units from Nantucket Fire Department and Nantucket Police Department.”

The blaze reportedly came as close as 40 feet to the facility’s jet fuel tanks.

Nantucket Fire Chief Michael Cranson told the Current that the blaze did not appear to be suspicious, but that the investigation was focused on the Ford Expedition, which was under a safety recall by the manufacturer over a faulty battery junction box. According to the recall, the faulty junction box has caused fires.

Guglielmi said that Hertz is investigating the fire, but the Secret Service is not part of that investigation.

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