Cherokee 7966 Fire Fuel Geyser Incident 2026

During the response to the Cherokee 7966 Fire in Cherokee County, Texas, a sawyer performed brushing along the fire's edge to complete handline construction. After this work, the saw was loaded into a UTV and the sawyer drove to a different part of the fire to address a burning snag. After a size-up of the tree, the sawyer tried to start the chainsaw but couldn't get it to turn over or stay running. Believing they were standing in cold black, the sawyer began to troubleshoot the problem, beginning with opening the fuel tank. When they opened the fuel cap, they used caution, angling the saw away from their body and opening the fuel tank slowly. The pressure inside the tank was greater than the sawyer expected, causing the fuel to overflow, knocking the fuel cap off the powerhead, and spill onto the ground. The fuel mixture quickly ignited, catching both the saw and the sawyer's right glove on fire. The sawyer responded by tossing the saw away and removing their glove. The saw was a total loss, but the sawyer was uninjured with only some minor redness on their face.