Two vehicle fires extinguished by bystanders in Death Valley
DEATH VALLEY — Two recent vehicle fires in Death Valley National Park were extinguished by quick-thinking bystanders.
On Tuesday, May 20, a Death Valley employee’s motorcycle caught fire when he attempted to start the engine.
The fire was caused by a fuel leak that the owner believed he had repaired the previous day. At the time, the National Park Service’s fire engine was approximately 35 miles away, responding to the accident which the Pahrump Valley Times reported in the May 23 edition where a tractor-trailer collided into the Emigrant Ranger station.
The motorcycle’s owner emptied a small fire extinguisher onto the engine, then got help.
Park rangers used two additional fire extinguishers to reduce the flames, then used a garden hose connected to a spigot and a fire hose from a hydrant to fully extinguish the fire.
On Saturday, May 24, around 7:45 p.m., a separate incident occurred at Dantes View, a popular viewpoint that sees thousands of visitors each year. An SUV was emitting smoke from its engine as it arrived.
Other travelers quickly reacted by pouring ice and water from their coolers onto the engine, successfully extinguishing the small fire. The burn damage was limited to one section of the engine compartment.
