Truck catches fire on Kebler Pass Road

Fire contained to the road

Volunteers for the Crested Butte Fire Protection District got the page at about 5 p.m. Thursday, June 28 after a full-sized landscaping pick-up truck hauling a load of aspens caught fire near mile marker 22 on Kebler Pass Road, a few miles past Horse Ranch Park.

“The person was towing a trailer of trees back and heard a bang and he was in flames,” CBFPD Fire Chief Ric Ems said, adding the driver was able to get out of the vehicle before being injured. “It was in a cooler area, so that helped, but there was definitely a threat to the wildfire situation that we have. We did extinguish a few embers from the fire that had extended into the trees.”
 Otherwise, Ems said, the fire was contained to the vehicle on the road. Fortunately both front tires on the truck had blown, which helped keep the truck from rolling.
Ems said “absolutely” car fires are a big concern when they have the potential to spread to surrounding wildlands. In commenting on the volatility in the current wildfire situation, Ems mentioned a blaze near Last Chance, Colo. on the eastern plains that started after a car tire blew and sent sparks from the bare rim into the grass. That wildfire consumed 45,000 acres before it was contained.
“In situations like [the one last week], we roll with engines that are foam-capable. There was also a tender on scene with 2,000 gallons on board and a brush truck,” Ems said. “We had at least 10 people on scene and others were standing by. People are on edge right now and when we got the page they came running to help. They did a great job.”
Ems said if you’re ever driving a car that catches fire, you should try to steer it to the middle of the road and turn off the engine. If at all possible, the recommendation is to then chalk the wheels with a rock or anything that will prevent the car from rolling.