Kell Firemen say an SUV was quickly engulfed in flames after a gas can tipped over when the driver swerved to miss a deer on the Roosevelt Road near the intersection of Kell Road in rural Kell Saturday afternoon.
David Pierce Senior who lives only a short distance away told fire officials he stopped to upright the gas can, but when he opened the rear hatch a fire flashed and quickly spread.
Kell Fire Chief Lonnie McDaneld says why the flash fire occurred is still a mystery but may have been caused by some type of short in the wiring or some of the gas dripping on the hot tailpipe.
McDaneld says fortunately Pierce avoided getting burned. The 2003 GMC Yukon was a total loss.
The fire call came in just after eight Saturday night, with firemen on the scene for about an hour and a half.
