Modoc Initial Attack Engine Vehicle Accident 2001

On the evening of July 6, 2001, an engine and its chase truck collided on an unpaved road and were both consumed by fire on the Modoc National Forest in northeastern California. The engine crew had been recalled to work shortly after the normal working hours to locate a reported fire. Crewmembers who lived at the Forest Service station staffed the engine, while those who had already begun their return commute home turned the chase truck around to meet up with the engine. At a blind curve, the vehicles collided, causing a diesel fire that destroyed both vehicles and caused explosions of the oxygen bottles stored on the engine. No injuries were reported. 

Vehicle Incident or Accident, Engines, Driving, Initial Attack