Day: June 28, 2021

By Larry Judkins

Glenn County Observer

It was sort of two fires in one, according to Orland Fire Chief Justin Chaney.

Shortly before 11:30 Monday morning, Orland firefighters responded to a report of a vehicle fire “on Walker Street” at the Napa Auto Parts store.

The fire was actually in the lot behind Napa and firefighters could reach it only from Fourth Street.

According to Chief Chaney, the fire began when a worker accidentally opened a valve on an acetylene tank. When the worker attempted to close the valve, a spark was produced and the tank caught fire.

The worker reportedly headed for safety and the fire department was called. But the fire got worse before it was extinguished.

The fire from the acetylene tank burned through the floor of the delivery van and through the van’s fuel tank directly below. The van’s fuel, of course, also caught fire.

Firefighters were able to pull the acetylene tank from the rear of the delivery van and drag it to the edge of Fourth Street, spraying it with water as they went. They then turned their full attention to the van fire.

A river of burning fuel almost reached all the way from the van to Fourth Street before firefighters put it out. The van itself was a complete loss.

Although the van was very close to the rear of the Napa building, it appeared that the building did not sustain any damage.

Glenn County Observer

No one was seriously injured in a two-vehicle collision at County Roads 30 and M early Sunday afternoon.

According to the Willows Area Office of the California Highway Patrol, at about 1:50 p.m. on June 27, Seth Silver, 23, of Newport, Ore., was driving a 2016 Hyundai west on County Road 30 and came to a stop at the intersection with County Road M.

Daniel Lopez, 35, of Orland, was driving a 2002 Honda south on County Road M, north of Road 30.

Silver failed to see the Honda approaching the intersection and the front of the Hyundai struck the driver’s side of the Honda.

Seth Silver complained of pain but declined ambulance transport to the hospital. His passenger, Patricia Eley, 21, of Salem, Ore., was uninjured.

Daniel Lopez was also uninjured. According to CHP Officer Pennell, all three occupants were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the accident.

As the photographs indicate, both vehicles sustained major damage in the collision.