The annual Cherry Blossom Parade in downtown Washington carried with it a special floral display this year, courtesy of a new Dodge Durango that caught fire while towing a parade float. UPDATED
The incident Saturday halted the parade for about 20 minutes while firefighters arrived to douse the flames and get the vehicle off the parade route. The Durango — apparently on loan from a dealer — had been pulling a flatbed trailer with the band Kicking Daisies playing on the back when it stopped for a smoke break; other videos showed the truck suffering a mini-fireball from the hood before it was extinguished.
Why a brand-new (and best we can tell, Hemi-equipped) Durango would self-immolate during a parade isn't clear; even the V6 version has a towing capacity of 6,200 lbs., which should be enough for several Kicking Daisies. Burning during a parade isn't a great advertisement for your vehicle, unless the "imported from Detroit" tagline is expanding to include car fires.
We just wonder whether Motor Trend is still hot for the Durango after this video.
UPDATE: Chrysler spokesman Michael Palese tells Jalopnik that the company "is talking with the dealer to arrange an opportunity to inspect this vehicle," adding that "vehicle fires are often caused by reasons that have nothing to do with the vehicle."