Mount Washington

3 SUVs Destroyed in Wind-Driven Fire Atop Mount Washington

While the cause of the fire has yet to be determined, it isn't believed to have been suspicious — the blaze was whipped up by strong winds

Gorham NH Fire & EMS Facebook

Three vehicles at the summit of New Hampshire's Mount Washington were destroyed in a fire Sunday morning, police said, sharing stark images of the damage atop the well-known mountain.

The vehicles appeared to be SUVs, and they were completely charred and wrecked by the fire, according to images shared by the Gorham Fire Department, which put out the blaze once its crews were able to make it up the mountain.

The summit's auto road — a popular destination for locals and tourists eager to test their vehicles' limits — was full early in the morning, since it was open for people to see the sunrise, firefighters said. It took firefighters 30 minutes to travel up the road and make it to the blaze.

"While this may seem like an extended wait time the trip up the Auto Road needs to be done safely in these larger vehicles," officials said in a statement.

Three cars were destroyed in a fire at the top of Mount Washington in Gorham, New Hampshire, on Sunday, July 24, 2022. Courtesy Gorham NH Fire & EMS Facebook
The fire occurred when Auto Road was busy with cars driving up to see the sunrise. Courtesy Gorham NH Fire & EMS Facebook

While the cause of the fire has yet to be determined, it isn't believed to have been suspicious. The blaze was whipped up by strong winds, helping to destroy all three vehicles, firefighters said.

It took more than 1,000 gallons of water to put out the fire, firefighters said. Officials did not say if anyone was injured.

Mount Washington, New England’s highest peak, is known for its pasta-freezing extreme weather, including very high winds. Wind gusts, which can top 140 mph, are sometimes strong enough to knock over a person.

Whoa, it was wicked windy on Wednesday atop New Hampshire's Mount Washington — up to 133 mph, to be exact. The Mount Washington Observatory sent out an intern to demonstrate just how intense it was on the windiest day of winter so far.
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