Flames Erupt At Gas Station In South Jersey

By Diana Rocco

MOUNT LAUREL, N.J., (CBS) – Flames erupt at a South Jersey gas station, after a car catches fire.

Two Good Samaritans jumped into action, helping prevent the flames from spreading even further.

"I thought it was going to blow any moment."

Scary moments at a Lukoil on Route 73 in New Jersey Monday afternoon caught on cell phone video when a smoking car pulls up to a gas pump. The video shows the car as it goes up in flames, filling the station with thick, black smoke and catching the pump on fire -- popping sounds can be heard as the hoses starts exploding.

"I tried to put the fire down but I can't. It's getting more fire and more fire until when you can see here burning the pump. So it really was scary," said Mouhamad Kurbazi.

Station owner Mouhamad Kurbazi hit the emergency button to turn off the pumps. Meanwhile Anthony Phelps and his friend Matthew Murray were driving by and sprang into action. Anthony jumped inside the burning vehicle trying to move it away from the gas lines. When it wouldn't budge, he pushed the car next to it out of the way.

"When I was inside the vehicle, obviously that's the thing going through your head right now, is like oh my gosh this could blow at any minute. It's just people's safety, you want to make sure everything else is out of there," said Anthony Phelps.

"I saw that the pump, that's pump right there was actually on fire as well and that got even more nerve-racking," said Matthew Murray.

The station had just received a fresh delivery and was sitting on more than 15,000 gallons of fuel.

"It would be bomb not just for this area here, all around it," said Kurbazi.

No one was injured and the owner credits that to the quick-thinking actions of the two Good Samaritans. He also has some advice for anyone with a smoking or overheating vehicle -- don't pull over next to a gas tank.