The Bloomington Fire Department is investigating a fire that destroyed a truck with three attached flags, including a Trump flag, Wednesday night.
The truck was parked between two houses in the 200 block of W. Gordon Pike when the fire began. The owner of the 2006 Nissan Titan, Gary Phero, said a Trump flag, American flag, and police flag were attached to the truck, which he’d driven past polling sites during Tuesday’s presidential election.
Phero said he was in the front room of his house when two women knocked on his door before 10:21 p.m. to tell him his truck was on fire. When he went outside the flags were already on fire, and the flames had spread to a vinyl roof of the vehicle. He tried to put out the fire, but it was too late. The truck is destroyed.
Phero said his flag pole, which had a Trump flag attached, was stolen a few weeks ago. Phero suspects someone set his truck on fire.
When firefighters arrived, the truck was fully involved with fire, and a power line had been burned creating a dangerous hazard on the ground. First responders called Duke and had to wait for them to arrive.
Members of the Bloomington Fire Department extinguished the fire, and an investigator was gathering details. The fire department has not made a statement on the cause of the fire, and the investigation will require time to complete.
Phero said he hadn’t participated in any of the recent Trump parades but had driven his truck around town in support of Trump’s reelection.
