Three Utah Department of Transportation technicians were clearing flood debris from culverts along State Route 24 in Sigurd Canyon when a four-wheeler rolled past them, dragging flames and sparks from behind a trailer. Drake Robinson, Kayson Borg and Colton Curtis dropped their tools, jumped in their truck and chased the burning vehicle down the highway, ultimately using a fire extinguisher to douse the flames before they could ignite a wildfire.
The men were working in Sevier County after recent heavy rains caused flooding along the highway, according to FOX 13 News Utah. Borg said the crew spotted a four-wheeler being towed behind a trailer with sparks and flames trailing off it, and the group stopped their work to pursue the vehicle. Curtis described dropping everything to try to catch up before the situation turned into a wildfire.
Curtis later described the vehicle as a ball of fire that passed the crew, and said the incident could have been much worse. The crew used a fire extinguisher to put the flames out before the fire spread, though grass along the roadside did catch fire before the technicians got it under control, the outlet's report notes.
A Broken Strap and a Driver Who May Not Have Known
Curtis said the incident may have resulted from a broken strap securing the four-wheeler to the trailer, according to the same report. He also said he believes the driver likely did not realize what was happening behind them. Neither the driver's identity nor a confirmed cause of the equipment failure has been reported, and it remains unclear whether authorities identified the driver afterward.
Utah law requires towed vehicles on state roads to be secured with safety chains or cables that keep the drawbar off the pavement, with no more slack than necessary for turning, under Utah Code Section 41-6a-1634. Failing to properly secure tow chains is treated as a traffic infraction under that statute, a detail that underscores how a routine equipment failure like a snapped strap can quickly become a roadside fire hazard.
Why a Loose Chain Can Be More Dangerous Than It Looks
The scenario the UDOT crew encountered is far more common than most drivers realize. Data from the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands relayed by KUTV 2News shows that criminal arson accounts for only 5% to 7% of human-caused wildfires in the state, with the vast majority sparked by accidental roadside causes such as dragging trailer chains or hot vehicle undercarriages contacting dry brush. As of late June, the state fire agency had logged 583 wildfires caused by human activity, representing roughly 67% of all fire starts statewide so far this year, according to a report from KSL 5 TV.
Interagency state and federal partners launched the Utah Fire Sense public awareness campaign in 2021, specifically urging drivers to tighten trailer safety chains and inspect vehicle equipment to prevent roadside sparks. The campaign, run through partners including the Bureau of Land Management, won a national Bronze Smokey Bear Award in 2023 for its prevention outreach. Nationally, the National Park Service has found that nearly 85% of wildland fires are caused by human activity, including vehicle breakdowns, equipment use, dragging safety chains, and unattended campfires.
Flooding Put the Crew in the Canyon at the Right Moment
The technicians were in Lower Sigurd Canyon in the first place because monsoonal thunderstorms in July and August triggered National Weather Service flood advisories between mileposts 11 and 14 on State Route 24, sending fast-moving mud and debris across the roadway. That flooding is why the UDOT crew was stationed there clearing culverts and inlets when the burning four-wheeler passed. State Route 24 itself stretches roughly 163 miles from Salina through Sevier, Wayne, and Emery counties to Interstate 70 near Green River, making it the longest contiguous signed state highway in Utah.
Curtis's ability to act quickly traces in part to his second job. He volunteers with the Richfield Fire Department, an all-volunteer organization founded in 1924 with more than 20 volunteers certified in both structural and wildland firefighting who serve Richfield, Sigurd and rural Sevier County. He is certified in both structural and wildland firefighting himself, training that likely shaped his read on how quickly the roadside blaze needed to be knocked down.
Honored at Sigurd Town Hall
Local officials recognized Robinson, Borg and Curtis as heroes during a ceremony at Sigurd Town Hall. Sigurd is a small town of 405 residents as of the 2020 U.S. Census, settled in 1874 and incorporated in 1935. Curtis summed up the episode simply: the crew was in the right place at the right time, and he encouraged other travelers to carry a fire extinguisher of their own, noting it can be the difference between a quick save and a spreading wildfire.
Regional interagency fire centers in Utah successfully contain and extinguish more than 75% of wildfires before they reach 10 acres, according to the state forestry division, underscoring how critical those first few minutes of response can be. In this case, that response came not from a dedicated fire crew but from three road workers who happened to be clearing storm debris at exactly the wrong, and right, moment.
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