Truck crash ignites small grass fire

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Tuesday, July 22, 2008

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By MARSHA DORGAN
Register Staff Writer

A dump truck driver got a first-hand taste of Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride earlier today.

The dump truck driver was headed downhill on the Oakville Grade around 9:30 a.m. when he got a scary awakening.

His brakes gave out, according to Barry Biermann, CalFire battalion chief.

Opting for the lesser of two evils, the driver, whose name was not available, drove the truck into the side of a hill, Biermann said.

“Somehow the truck caught fire. When we got there the fire had spread to the cab of the truck, which was fully engulfed,” he said.

The driver was able to escape unharmed, Biermann said.

The fire spread to the nearby grass and raced uphill. It burned about a quarter acre of brush before firefighters could get a handle on it, Biermann said.

“It burned up an extremely steep hill. We had trouble pulling hose to the fire. Luckily the humidity was high and the fire did not spread rapidly,” he said.

No structures were threatened.

4 comment(s)

wined0wnnapa wrote on Jul 21, 2008 4:16 PM:

" Check those brake lines for bite marks. Somehow a squirrel is involved. "

707jng wrote on Jul 21, 2008 4:36 PM:

" I guess it's a good thing they are raising our rates! now they can get proper trucks for our drivers.
Glad the driver was ok and the fire didn't spread. "

freebird707 wrote on Jul 21, 2008 9:52 PM:

" Who is Mr. Toad? What does a dump truck have to do with raising "our rates"?

Perhaps a slight adjustment is in order to your tin foil hat 707jng? Next time I hire a dump truck I'll remember the rate increase?

I agree the cause of this was probably a squirrel, just last night I saw a Coon in my back yard stealing my cat's food and he had on a mask. Was with a Possum. You know those kind. "

Sickothis wrote on Jul 22, 2008 12:34 PM:

" Wow. A reference to Mr. Toad. I'm impressed Marsha. Get Poppy in one of your articles somehow. "

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