UPS truck bursts into flames in Winchester Hills; bullet casings pop, litter nearby property

ST. GEORGE — Residents of the Winchester Hills neighborhood north of St. George witnessed flames and smoke coming from a UPS truck Thursday afternoon.

A UPS truck is in flames in the Winchester Hills neighborhood, St. George, Utah, Sept. 8, 2022 | Photo taken from video courtesy of Kyle Hawker, St. George News

If the burning delivery truck wasn’t obvious, the popping of bullets and ammunition among the packages being delivered likely was.

One resident said they were hit by shrapnel, leaving bruises. No one else, including the driver of the truck, was injured.

The delivery truck burst into flames shortly after 5 p.m., apparently from engine trouble. 

The volunteer Winchester Hills Fire Department put out the fire quickly, chief Don Christensen said. Even so, he said they took time to respond and the fire still went on longer than it needed to.

“The driver did not know what number to call,” Christiansen said. “He didn’t know how to call 911. I thought everyone knew that. So when we got there, it was fully involved.”

While the Winchester Hills Fire Department may not be a household name beyond The Ledges, Christiansen said they would leap into action since the dispatch system is connected to 911.

Once they arrived, Christiansen said firefighters extinguished the blaze within in minutes once they were able to open the hood. 

“That’s half the battle – getting to the engine compartment,” Christiansen said.

Aftermath after a UPS truck burned in the Winchester Hills neighborhood, St. George, Utah, Sept. 8, 2022 | Photo by Bryant Larsen/Winchester Hills Fire Department, St. George News

Residents captured video of the fire before the firefighters arrived. The front of the familiar, brown UPS truck is covered in flames, including the area where the driver usually would be.

There was also a continuous popping that could be mistaken for either semi-automatic gunfire of a rapid succession of firecrackers. 

If there was any doubt about where the popping noise came from, Kyle Hawker said there was no mistaking the bullets and bullet casings that littered his yard near the fire. If that wasn’t enough, there were bruises on his chest and legs from the shrapnel.

“I got hit twice and they are everywhere,”  Hawker said. “They are halfway up my yard.”

Once the fire was out, there was little remaining of the front of the UPS truck, which was a total loss. 

Hawker said there was also damage to his yard. On Friday, burn damage could be seen on the ground and a decorative light pole in Hawker’s yard appeared to be more of a melting Halloween decoration. 

“It melted my light pole,” Hawker said. “And there’s the mess that UPS said they would come and clean up.”

St. George News reporter Truman Burgess contributed to this story.

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