BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — The R&R BBQ food truck owner and his family are scrambling to make ends meet after the truck burst into flames on Monday.

Owner Colt Reese said this is a devastating loss. 

‘R & R BBQ’ is a food truck out of Springville, Alabama known for its top seller, smoked wings. Reese said he was driving in Gadsden when all of sudden the truck caught on fire.

Reese said he reacted quickly in the moment but there was nothing he could do but save himself by jumping ship. Feeling numb and helpless, Reese said he watched his sole source of income go up in flames in just minutes.

Reese said he is grateful his mom and daughter were following close behind him because it was his daughter who called notifying him of the flames.

“And so as soon as she told me that, I stopped and pulled off to the side and I could see the flames,” Reese said. “I turned around and grabbed my fire extinguisher that was just right behind my seat. By the time I grabbed it, the flames were up over my head and so I just went out the side.”

In the fire he lost his wallet with all of his cards. All of the cooking equipment was destroyed; Only the cash box was saved. Now, they are forced to start from the ground up.

Reese said without his food truck in operation, he is losing between $1,200-$1,400 a day.

“When the Income’s not coming in for revenue, that’s the only way I make my money,” Reese said. “Without the revenue coming in currently, we’re just here trying to figure out what to do.”

Reese said he does have some ideas to stay afloat while he works to get a new food truck.

“I actually have my own commercial kitchen and I cook there also,” said Reece. “So, I’m doing some orders from there. I’ve got a couple of connections with some friends that have restaurants. So, we’re in talks of possibly setting up kind of like a little pop-up shop that way we can at least provide some food in the meantime.”

Reese said he does have insurance on the food truck but it’s not enough to cover a new one. To help his family make ends meet and work towards a new food truck, he says they have a Go Fund Me and Venmo set up.