National Park Service (NPS) and Beatty firefighters responded to and successfully extinguished a trailer fire in Death Valley National Park on December 29, 2024 after a tractor trailer’s breaks overheated.
The fire began when the vehicle was descending nearly 5,000 vertical feet from Towne Pass on CA-190. The driver was driving with a suspended license and received a citation for doing so.
“This was the eighth vehicle fire this year in Death Valley National Park, and the sixth fire due to overheated brakes. We want to remind drivers of heavy vehicles to down-shift on steep grades and consider pulling over to allow their brakes to cool down.” – Mike Reynolds, Superintendent of Death Valley National Park
This was the eighth vehicle fire to occur in Death Valley National Park, six of which occurred because of overheated brakes. Other fires occurred on January 10, April 26, July 15, July 21, August 11, August 15, and November 21.
