Ranger Dan Abbe was flagged down by park visitors south of the tunnel on Wawona Road while on his way to work in Yosemite Valley on Tuesday, May 26th. They told him that there was a truck over the side of the road and on fire, and that there were people still inside. Abbe found a full-sized pickup with an upright trailer behind it resting on its side about 30 feet below the road. Fire burned in the engine compartment as he worked to extricate the two occupants. He was finally able to get them out and escorted them downhill and away from the truck and trailer. They told him that the pickup was filled with 70 gallons of gas, that they had an extra 50-gallon gas container onboard, and that the trailer had two full propane tanks. Abbe moved them further away from the vehicle, then returned to the road. At the point, the passenger compartment filled with smoke, and crackling noises issued from the pickup; with minutes, both track and trailer were fully engulfed in flames and the fire had spread to the vegetation around it. The fire was suppressed and Abbe and the visitors were taken to the park medical clinic, where they were treated for smoke inhalation and released. The truck and trailer were a total loss. The visitors credited Abbe with saving their lives and will be coming back to the park in the near future to present him with a plaque to show their appreciation.
