SIGURD, Utah — Employees with the Utah Department of Transportation who were working along State Route 24 in Sevier County were simply in the right place at the right time when they spotted a four-wheeler being towed behind a trailer — with sparks and flames coming from behind.
The three transportation technicians, Kayson Borg, Colton Curtis and Drake Robinson, were in Sigurd Canyon on April 17, clearing culverts and inlets after recent heavy rains caused flooding along the highway. That's when they noticed something that immediately caught their attention.
“We happened to see a four-wheeler being drug behind a trailer, and there was flames, sparks,” Borg said.
The crew stopped what they were doing and went after the vehicle.
“We all jumped to action, dropped everything we were doing, and decided to catch up to him as quick as we could and try to prevent a wildfire from starting,” Curtis said.
According to Sigurd officials, the grass along the side of the road caught fire before the UDOT crew grabbed a fire extinguisher and put it out before the flames could spread.
The men were recognized at Sigurd Town Hall as local heroes for taking action when it mattered most.
Curtis said he believes the driver likely didn't realize what was happening.
“I'm sure it was an honest mistake,” he said. “I'm sure the guy had the four-wheeler tied down, and maybe it broke, the strap broke.”
But he said the situation could have been much worse.
“This was a ball of fire that went past us,” Curtis said. “I don't know how we didn't start the brush on fire.”
Curtis also volunteers with the Richfield Fire Department and is certified in both structural and wildland firefighting. He said the experience reinforced an important reminder for anyone traveling Utah's roads.
“I think it'd be a good note for the traveling public to know to always have a fire extinguisher with you,” Curtis said. “Whether it's you or somebody else, you can prevent a lot of wildfires just having a fire extinguisher with you.”
Curtis summed up what happened simply:
“We were in the right place at the right time.”
