An off-duty Douglas County sheriff's deputy was credited Monday with helping a motorist out of his pickup truck before the vehicle was engulfed in flames caused by a fuel leak.
East Fork Deputy Fire Chief Dave Fogerson said Deputy Bret Hicks was in the vehicle next to the truck on Highway 395 near Pine Nut Road when he saw the pickup on fire.
"Deputy Hicks saw the vehicle on fire, got the gentleman out, and used his personal fire extinguisher to try to put out the fire, but it was too far advanced," Fogerson said.
The driver was not injured.
The fire was called in at 8:40 a.m. by Hicks and several witnesses, Fogerson said.
He said the driver of the early 1980s Chevrolet pickup apparently turned on the heater fan, filling with cab with smoke.
Fogerson said the fire destroyed the cab and engine.
Five firefighters extinguished the fire, Fogerson said. The northbound lane of Highway 395 was closed briefly.
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