SWAT vehicle catches fire, closing road

APOLLO BEACH (FOX 13) - A Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office SWAT truck caught fire while heading to a public appearance at a local school, closing a portion of U.S. 301.

The sheriff's office says two SWAT team members noticed smoke coming from the vehicle's generator area.  They pulled over near Balm Road and used fire extinguishers to put out the flames, but it flared back up.

The flamed ignited ammunition inside the vehicle, but it was contained inside its compartment, deputies said, and no one was injured.  

Hillsborough County Fire Rescue crews had to be called to extinguish the blaze for good.  Bomb squad members arrived on the scene to handle the ammunition.

The vehicle and deputies had been heading to a Great American Teach-In appearance at Shields Middle School in Ruskin.