KENT, Wash. -- A truck used to by a local charity to deliver foods to hundreds of families caught fire Monday, destroying one of their lifelines.

For organizers of R Place of Refuge, the truck was all they had to deliver food to needy people and while it was on the road in Kent Monday, the truck suddenly caught fire.

“There was no warning, there was just a popping sound and the next thing we know the car was on fire and, the community came out to help,” said Kelly Carroll of R Place of Refuge. Officials later determined it was an electrical fire.

Some passersby tried to help -- rushing to get a fire extinguisher to douse the flames.

“I raced home and got the fire extinguisher, but by the time I got back to the end of the street, it was too late,” said eyewitness Shane Larson.

The fire department arrived at the scene of the fire, but before anything could be done the truck was a total loss.

R Place of Refuge held only liability insurance on the truck to keep expenses low.

The organization picks up food donations from local grocers and delivers them to the elderly -- disabled people and families who have no way of getting to a food bank on their own.

“We provide refuge to families affected by domestic violence, foster care, child neglect, you name it we pretty much do it,” Carroll said.

The organization doesn't get any kind of state or federal funds, they do everything through donations. They said without this truck, even though it was an old one, there's nothing they can do to deliver food to all the families that are waiting for them.

If you’d like to make a donation to R-Place of Refuge, go to R Place of Refuge