Park ranger rescues woman from burning Tesla in Friant crash

A woman was pulled from a burning Tesla on Millerton Road near Millerton Lake Park after the car struck a tree, overturned and ignited in the Friant foothills. The crash also sparked a vegetation fire that spread across about 21 acres before crews fully contained it later in the day.

The California Highway Patrol said the Tesla went off the roadway near the entrance to Millerton Lake Park and caught fire just after 7 a.m. Tuesday. One local report said the driver may have fallen asleep behind the wheel, drifted off the road and hit a tree before becoming trapped in the burning vehicle.

A California State Parks employee helped the driver escape the flames, according to local reports. The rescue happened quickly enough to keep the situation from becoming even more serious, but the woman still suffered major injuries. ABC30 Fresno reported that she had burns, and another local account said she also had head injuries.

KMPH reported that the woman was airlifted to a hospital after the rescue. That report also said the State Parks maintenance worker who pulled her from the vehicle was taken to the hospital for treatment. The incident left Millerton Road closed from the entrance to Millerton Lake to Morningside Way as firefighters worked the scene.

CAL FIRE named the incident the Millerton Fire and listed its start time at 7:09 a.m. on June 9, 2026. The agency said the fire was fully contained by 7:41 p.m. that evening. CAL FIRE also reported that the blaze burned 21 acres.

The crash underscored how fast a single-vehicle collision in Fresno County’s foothill roads can turn into both a rescue operation and a wildfire response. Dry vegetation near the roadway helped carry the flames away from the Tesla, adding a brush fire to an already dangerous scene and forcing responders to manage an injured driver, an electric vehicle fire and a growing roadside wildfire at the same time.