A semi-truck transporting 44,000 pounds of dried chickpeas caught on fire descending into Death Valley National Park late last month. According to a National Park statement, the truck’s brakes overheated as the vehicle descended Daylight Pass and Mud Canyon Road, which is closed to commercial traffic.
The driver was unharmed and the National Park Service directed the response and clean-up efforts.
“When a commercial truck has a wreck or catches on fire, we worry about what it will release into the park,” said Superintendent Mike Reynolds. “However, there’s very little chance that stray chickpeas not cleaned up will become invasive species in the driest place in North America.”
Death Valley vehicle fires in 2024
With increasingly hot temperatures being recorded in the park, large trucks face a greater risk of their brakes burning out. This is the seventh vehicle fire in Death Valley this year. The majority of incidents were large trucks.
“Most vehicle fires here happen because brakes overheat going down steep grades,” Abby Wines, a spokesperson for Death Valley National Park, wrote in an email to SFGATE. “This is part of why nearly every car manufacturer comes to Death Valley National Park to test their new vehicles in the summer.”
This recent fire occurred late November, when temperature peaked at just 75 degrees. The risk of a vehicle fire is greater for heavy vehicles, but Wines advises that visitors driving through the park should downshift when navigating steep hills.
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