Three firefighters with the Downey Fire Department in southeast Idaho (map) were injured when a gas can fell off their truck while fighting a vegetation fire. They were backing at the time and one of the tires on the five-ton, 6×6 truck ran over the can. The spilled gas ignited from an ember in the burned over area where they were at the time. The intense fire that developed burned all three firefighters, one of them over 40 percent of his body.
All three were transported to a hospital and two were transferred to the University of Utah Burn Center in Salt Lake City where a spokesperson said one was in critical condition and another was in serious condition. The third was treated and released. One of them also suffered a broken leg.
The truck was destroyed and the fire was knocked down after it spread to six acres.
