Truck Burns Near Lookout Pass

Fire destroyed a Louisiana-Pacific Corp. pickup truck near Lookout Pass Monday morning. So far, no one knows why.

“We’re going over it now to try to determine the cause. We just feel fortunate that no one was injured,” said Jim Beldin, LP manager of industrial relations.

When the fire broke out, James M. Mahoney, 41, of Spokane was headed eastbound on Interstate 90, pulling a trailer loaded with conduit and wire for the company’s Missoula plant.

According to a Shoshone County deputy, the fire started in the engine compartment of the 1991 Ford pickup. Mahoney pulled over, but by the time Mullan firefighters arrived, it was engulfed in flames.

“The trailer and materials weren’t really damaged, but the truck was a total loss,” Beldin said.

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