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ALPINE — Santa was making one of his last deliveries for the holiday when his car caught fire Friday morning, officials said.
The reindeer were tired from the long night, so Santa was driving his car on the border of Highland and Alpine, according to Lone Peak Fire Battalion Chief Joe McRae. Unfortunately, the older car burst into flames en route. Firefighters responded to the scene just before 7 a.m. Christmas morning.
"When we approached the car here walked Santa down the street, which surprised everyone," McRae said.
It's Santa pic.twitter.com/TMVXc5DBCB
— Lone Peak Fire (@lonepeakfire) December 25, 2015
It only took about 15 minutes to extinguish the fire, according to McRae. He drove Santa to his last delivery destination in Alpine. The father at the final location even lent Santa his car while he figured out his own issues.
"If you believe in Santa, this was the real Santa," McRae said. "It was really shocking to see him put his finger to the side of his nose and go down the chimney."
He even had a few words of wisdom for assembled media later on.
"If people learned to love people a little bit more they would understand what the greatest gift of Christmas is… And that is love, my boy, it always has been."
A GoFundMe account* was set up to help Santa — who also goes by the name Steven Macey — get a new car.
*KSL.com does not assure that the monies deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
Contributing: Jed Boal
