Burning vehicle ignites brush fire on I-15

KOLOB CANYON – A small brush fire ignited Thursday afternoon off Exit 40 on Interstate 15 when a small pickup truck, pulling a trailer and traveling north, caught fire.

At about noon, the Utah Highway Patrol, BLM Rangers from Kolob Canyon, and New Harmony Fire Department responded after an older model pickup truck pulled off I-15 at the Kolob Canyon exit after it began smoking.

Vehicle fire starts brush fire near I-15, Kolob Canyon, Utah, July 24, 2014 | Photo by T.S. Romney St. George News
Vehicle fire starts brush fire near I-15, Kolob Canyon, Utah, July 24, 2014 | Photo by T.S. Romney St. George News

The driver was able to pull off onto the northbound ramp at Exit 40 and exit the vehicle before the truck became engulfed in flames.

“It was most likely a mechanical fire,” said Capt. Scott Pace of the New Harmony Fire Department. “The fire originated under the hood.”

As the vehicle burned, the flames jumped and caught the surrounding brush on fire, too, Pace said. That fire proceeded to spread quickly up the Exit 40 ramp toward I-15.

Fire crews were able to contain the fire before it spread onto the interstate.

The fire temporarily blocked traffic at the Exit 40 northbound on-ramp, but the on-ramp was reopened once the flames were contained, around 12:45 p.m. The fire was completely out by approximately 1 p.m.

No injuries were reported as a result of this incident.

This report is based on preliminary information provided by responders on scene and may not contain the full scope of findings.

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4 Comments

  • lp July 24, 2014 at 5:24 pm

    Doesnt really look like it an older model truck…Looks like a newish Dodge .

  • killjoy July 24, 2014 at 11:25 pm

    Out of curiosity, do people who accidently start brush fires like this drivr did, have to pay for the suppression costs?

  • Paul July 25, 2014 at 9:18 am

    Well it was a accident Sure he didn’t plan his truck catching on fire and catching the field on fire duh

  • Pride July 25, 2014 at 7:12 pm

    Fire probably started by some burning bosom on Polygamy Pride Day.

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