Sunday morning vehicle fire briefly closes Highway 125

Colorado State Highway 125, going north from Windy Gap Reservoir, was shut down briefly Sunday afternoon after a vehicle fire brought traffic to a stop on the two-lane mountain road.

Late Sunday morning, sometime around 11:30 a.m., a late 1980s model van driven by a Grand Lake area resident was traveling along Highway 125 when a fire was ignited within the vehicle. According to officials from the Grand County Sheriff’s Office, eyewitnesses told authorities the fire appeared to originate near the front passenger’s side tire. Officials said the description is consistent with automotive fires related to a vehicle’s brakes.

Authorities said the driver of the vehicle was flagged down by his fellow motorists who noticed flames emanating from the van. The driver managed to pull the van off the highway to the side of the road where the vehicle continued to burn. Firefighters from the Grand Fire Protection District arrived at the scene to put out the flames but, according to law enforcement officials, the vehicle was destroyed in the blaze.

Highway 125 was shut down for roughly 40 minutes before both lanes of traffic were reopened. Officials said the driver of the vehicle that caught fire was not injured during the incident.