Story

Pickup Truck Destroyed by Fire on US-81

September 9, 2026 Saline County Sheriff's Office, Vehicle Fire, US-81, Rural Fire District, Fire Investigation, Wellington
Pickup Truck Destroyed by Fire on US-81

A Wellington man escaped injury after a fire destroyed his pickup truck while traveling on US-81.

According to authorities, 71-year-old Edgar Marino of Wellington was driving south on US-81 when a fire started in the bed of his 2003 red Dodge Ram. Marino was transporting various items in the truck bed, including a mattress, blankets, food, plastic items, and tools.

After noticing the fire, Marino pulled the vehicle to the side of the roadway and attempted to extinguish the flames. A rural fire district responded to the scene and assisted with the fire.

The pickup truck and its contents, with an estimated combined value of approximately $5,000, were declared a total loss.

No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Photos provided by the Saline County Sheriff’s Office Photos provided by the Saline County Sheriff’s Office
Share this story

Want this story in print?

We'll print this story on the cover and inside of a keepsake 4-page paper, then package it and ship it right to your door.

$19.79 · printed, packaged & shipped

Sign in to save 10% — paid members save 20%.

Printed for Salina

Get the newspaper or the Monthly Almanac

The newspaper

Bi-Weekly (2×/week) print edition

The week in Salina, on paper. Local stories, events, and where your neighbors stand.

Salina311 newspaper
$42.90/mo
Delivered every Wednesday & Sunday · $514.80/yr
Get the newspaper
Not a newspaper

The Monthly Almanac

A 32-page record of last month, the numbers that matter, and the month ahead.

Monthly Almanac
$13.70/mo
Delivered at the beginning of each month · $164.40/yr
Get the Monthly Almanac
Salina311

Sign In