UPDATE 4:58 p.m. Aug. 27, 2025 The driver of a full-size pickup truck noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment while traveling in the northeast commercial area of John Wayne Parkway and Smith-Enke Road, said Elle Ortega, a spokesperson for the city’s police and fire. The driver safely pulled into a nearby dirt lot east of the location.

Upon arrival, crews found that the engine compartment fire had spread into the cab, said Ortega. The vehicle is considered a total loss.

No civilians or firefighters were injured.

ORIGINAL STORY 3:10 p.m. Aug. 27, 2025 A silver pickup truck burst into flames this afternoon behind the Starbucks drive-thru at Maricopa Station, sending firefighters scrambling but leaving the busy shopping center largely unaffected.

The fire was reported just after 2:30 p.m. in a Chevrolet Silverado. By 2:45, the couple inside the truck was seen sitting on a curb, speaking with a firefighter as black smoke rose from the engine block.

Maricopa Fire Department’s Engine 575 had the flames contained by 2:50, though the truck continued to smolder as crews sprayed down hotspots in the dirt lot behind Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers. The blaze torched the entire engine compartment but did not spread beyond the vehicle.

The short stretch of road behind Starbucks was closed while crews worked, but traffic on John Wayne Parkway and Smith-Enke Road, the main intersection fronting the shopping center, was not affected. Both Starbucks and Freddy’s remained open, their drive-thru lines moving steadily as onlookers watched firefighters douse the smoking vehicle.

InMaricopa has contacted Maricopa Police and Fire, who are working to provide additional information on the incident.