YOUR AD HERE »

West Routt firefighters injured in engine rollover after leaving scene of structure fire

West Routt firefighters injured in engine rollover after leaving scene of structure fire

Lisa Schlichtman / Steamboat Pilot & Today
A West Routt Fire Protection District engine rolled down an embankment Saturday night after leaving the scene of a fire.

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — A crew of West Routt Fire Protection District firefighters were injured in an engine rollover Saturday evening. The crash occurred as the crew was returning to the station after extinguishing a structure fire at Canyon Valley Ranch.

The engine they were traveling in went off the edge of Valley Drive, which was steep and icy. The vehicle rolled several times and came to rest approximately 150 to 200 feet down a steep embankment.

Four firefighters received minor injuries in the crash with two transported to UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center in Steamboat Springs and two to Memorial Regional Hospital in Craig.



“We are grateful that none were more seriously hurt in the rollover or subsequent rescue,” said West Routt Fire Chief Trevor Guire in a news release.

West Routt responded to the scene with two ambulances, and Steamboat Springs Fire Rescue assisted with one ambulance and one engine. Oak Creek Fire Protection District was called in to cover the Steamboat area since all Steamboat crew members were involved in the rescue effort.



Routt County Search and Rescue was paged for a rope rescue, but the call was eventually canceled.

Guire said the fire call was challenging from the beginning. Canyon Valley Ranch is located on the border of the West Routt and Steamboat fire districts in an area without fire hydrants. Fire crews also were navigating recent snow and steep, icy roads.

The fire itself was located in a garage at 40700 Peak View Court. The West Routt engine crew was able to quickly suppress the fire and keep it from spreading to any other structures.

According to Guire, the garage structure and the vehicles inside had fire and smoke damage. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Agencies that assisted West Routt with the fire and subsequent rescue included the Routt County Sheriff’s Office, Routt County Communications, Steamboat Springs Fire Rescue, Oak Creek Fire Protection District, Memorial Regional Hospital, Craig Fire and Rescue and Routt County Search and Rescue.


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

Readers around Craig and Moffat County make the Craig Press’ work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.