An apparent mechanical issue in a minivan caused the vehicle to erupt in when after the driver stopped at a Patton Township (N. Atherton) Sheetz for gas Thursday morning.

The convenience store and gas pumps were only briefly closed because of the fire.

Alpha Fire Company responded to the call at 7:47 a.m. and the fire was extinguished just before 8 a.m., assistant chief Shawn Kauffman said. The driver of the minivan had pulled in for gas and noticed smoke coming from under the hood. The driver got ready to pull away but the van wouldn’t start and the fire began.

Kauffman said store employees and other customers attempted to put the fire out with extinguishers but were unsuccessful. He said the store manager immediately shut off gas to the pumps when the fire began.

“If we hadn’t put it out quickly it could have done some damage to the pump, but there was not likely any risk of catastrophic damage because the gas was shut off to that area,” Kauffman said.

There was no damage to any other vehicles or property.

Patton Township Police also responded. The store was closed only for the time it took to extinguish the blaze.