Members of the Rainier Ridge Rams, a 4×4 club, came to the rescue when two off-road vehicles caught fire at the Walker Valley ORV area last week. Thankfully, no one was hurt and the heavy rains kept the fire from spreading.
Continue reading to find out about the bizarre chain-of-events that led up to the fire, how Rainier Ridge Rams stepped in to help DNR, and see photos of the fires’ aftermath.
Monday – March 11
2:00 p.m. – An abandoned vehicle was reported on the Upper Mainline Trail.
Wednesday – March 13
3:00 p.m. –A car fire was reported at Walker Valley.
3:30 p.m. – DNR staff met with the owner of the vehicle who reported that his Jeep had caught on fire just below the abandoned vehicle on Upper Mainline.
3:45 p.m. – Law enforcement and the local fire department arrive at the scene
3:50 p.m. – The Upper Mainline Trail is temporarily closed.
3:55 p.m. – The burning jeep catches the second vehicle on fire. Two vehicles are now on fire at Walker Valley.
Friday – March 15
9:00 a.m. – Volunteers from the Rainier Ridge Ram 4×4 Club arrived and spend the next several hours dragging both vehicles down to the road where they were later towed away.
3:00 p.m. – DNR staff conduct a walk-through and reopened the road in time for the weekend.
The Washington State Department of Natural Resources extends its gratitude to the Rainier Ridge Rams, specifically Jim Paget, Kyle Farrar, Anneliese Muller, and Kevin Vanderhorst, for all their hard work in helping to remove the burned vehicles and keeping trails Walker Valley ORV Area open and safe.
Photos by Alexis Kodosky, DNR.
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