Sixty-two junk cars go up in flames

Basin Volunteer Fire Department responded to a call at Andy’s Truck Parts on Lane 40 between Basin and Greybull on Thursday, May 28 at 11:25 a.m. Andy Dowling, the owner, reported he had been working on a vehicle; when he fired it up, sparks popped into the cheatgrass. He threw a few buckets of water on the flames, nearly dousing them, but in the time it took him to grab a hose, the fire had grown. 

“Cars burn really hot once they get going,” Dowling said. He called the fire department, fearing the flames would spread into the nearby Greybull River bottom. Basin was the first volunteer crew to arrive, followed by Greybull and Burlington. Between them, about 11 fire trucks were on scene battling the blaze. 

The fire surged through 62 parked junk cars, which had their fuel tanks drained. The extra air space in those drained tanks made them highly combustible, resulting in small explosions. Tires, too, were exploding from the heat. 

“It was challenging,” Basin Fire Chief Fred Sherburne said. 

Firefighters did succeed in keeping the fire away from the river bottom, mopping up around 4:30 p.m. No structures were lost. While many cars were burned, Dowling counted them as a small percentage of about 400 total vehicles on the property. The burnt cars will still be able to be crushed and recycled, even if they weigh slightly less and their parts can’t be sold. 

“It stinks, it’s bad, but it’s not devastating,” Dowling said. He praised the fire crew’s response, saying he was highly impressed. 

Sherburne explained not a lot more could have been done in this scenario. Generally, keeping the area around burn barrels and welding areas free of vegetation, keeping water on hand, and calling a fire in as soon as it gets out of control helps prevent grass fires. All controlled burns must be called in to Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office at 307-568-2324. Dispatchers can alert the public of any potential burn bans. 

“Watch what you’re burning, everything is dry dry,” Sherburne said.