Half Moon Bay Woman's VW Van Catches Fire and Snarls Traffic in Marin County

A young woman from Half Moon Bay watched her new pride and joy, a 1972 Volkswagen van, get charred to a crisp Saturday evening on the Highway 101 shoulder in Novato.

The young woman and her mother pulled to the side of southbound 101 at the Highway 37 interchange at about 6 p.m. when the van's cabin started to fill with smoke. It was fully engulfed in flames by the time Novato firefighters arrived. 

"Apparently she bought it up in this area less than a week ago," Novato Fire Captain Alex Bowlds said. "She said she had plans to restore it."

There were no injuries, but the orange van was totaled and traffic was fouled while the incident was cleared.

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