Police in Pincher Creek, Alberta, responded to a suspicious fire Saturday morning. The story behind it was gradually pieced together. Two men had been in the Honda the day before, but they became lost and then put the car into a ditch. To keep warm, they first tore the seats out of the car and set them on fire in the road. Then they set the entire car on fire.
"Their car was completely consumed by fire," said Cpl. Jeffrey Feist of the Pincher Creek RCMP. "They lit their car on fire because they thought they were going to freeze to death."
When daybreak came, the two men discovered that they were within easy walking distance of a nearby house, and set off to find help.
Rising smoke from the burned-out hulk attracted the attention of a passerby, who called 911.
Corporal Feist told the Echo that both men were in possession of cellular phones.
There you have it. A passerby could call emergency services, so there was cellular service. The two men apparently never thought of just calling for help. They were taken to a hospital for treatment of minor burns and frostbite. One of them was later arrested on outstanding warrants. Corporal Feist said that the RCMP recommends keeping emergency supplies in a car when traveling in winter -such as a cell phone- but they do not recommend burning your vehicle. -via Arbroath