Warm Grill Coals Blamed for Pickup Fire in Rural Saline County
A pickup truck was declared a total loss after a fire broke out in the bed of the vehicle Monday evening in rural Saline County.
According to the Saline County Sheriff’s Office, the incident occurred at approximately 8:00 p.m. on July 14, 2026, near the intersection of North Old 81 Highway and Shipton Road.
Investigators reported that a 2018 Dodge Ram 1500 driven by Jennifer Taylor, 40, of Salina, was traveling southbound on Old 81 Highway with a 12-year-old passenger when the driver noticed a fire in the bed of the truck.
Rural Fire District No. 7 responded to the scene and extinguished the blaze.
The investigation determined the fire was caused by a barbecue grill that had been placed in the truck bed and still contained warm coals from a cookout earlier in the day.
The truck was declared a total loss with estimated damages of approximately $12,000.
Neither Taylor nor the juvenile passenger was injured.
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