Some excitement the afternoon of Friday, September 6: A brand new F-150 pickup belonging to the contractor working on the road project at the upper end of the North Fork Road caught fire. The vehicle was a total loss, along with the load of road cloth on the trailer it was pulling.
The only thing salvaged was the ignition key, which the driver had in his pocket. According to the driver, he stopped because he smelled something funny. By the time he stepped out of the truck to check it out, there was flame shooting out of the wheel wells.
The blaze also started a small fire on the adjoining Walker property. A Forest Service crew put that out promptly.
As is usual up here, everyone responded: The Park Service was first on the scene, followed by the Border Patrol, units from the Blankenship Fire Department, and a Forest Service fire crew. The road contractor sent a couple of water trucks.