Man Drives Burning Truck to Fire Station

A man who drove a fire-engulfed truck to a fire station on Sunday was severely burned over one-quarter of his body, authorities said.

“The passenger compartment was well involved in fire,” said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Bob Collis, who added that the incident occurred about 4 p.m. at the fire station at 7063 Laurel Canyon Blvd.

“He was driving the truck when it was on fire. He stopped right in front of the fire station. Nobody could figure out what he was doing.”

The man, whose identity was not released, was able to get out of the cab on his own. Firefighters extinguished the blaze, and paramedics took him to North Hollywood Medical Center. Collis said the man spoke only Russian.

A nursing supervisor at the hospital said late Sunday that the man, whose age was listed as 40, was in critical condition and was expected to be transferred to the burn unit at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center.

Arson investigators discovered a one-gallon gas can attached via a hose to the truck’s carburetor, Collis said.

“I’ve never heard of such a thing,” he said. “They’re unable to talk with him, at least at this time, to find out why he did that. It’s not clear.”