By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina Post

A teen driver escaped injury when her pickup caught fire early Wednesday afternoon on Old Highway 81 in northern Saline County.

Rose Ahlvers, 17, of Salina, was northbound in the 5000 block of Old Highway 81 when her purple 1989 Ford F150 began smoking and making a strange noise, Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan said this morning.

She got out, opened the hood, and discovered the engine compartment on fire. The fire spread quickly and the cab was fully engulfed when Rural Fire District No. 7 arrived on scene, Soldan said.

A mechanical failure is believed to have caused the fire, he added.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1623342763929.jpeg" alt="Rural Fire District No. 7 firefighters extinguish a burning pickup in northern Saline County. Photos courtesy Saline County Sheriff's Office" />
 <figcaption>Rural Fire District No. 7 firefighters extinguish a burning pickup in northern Saline County. Photos courtesy Saline County Sheriff's Office</figcaption>
 </figure>By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina PostA teen driver escaped injury when her pickup caught fire early Wednesday afternoon on Old Highway 81 in northern Saline County.Rose Ahlvers, 17, of Salina, was northbound in the 5000 block of Old Highway 81 when her purple 1989 Ford F150 began smoking and making a strange noise, Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan said this morning.She got out, opened the hood, and discovered the engine compartment on fire. The fire spread quickly and the cab was fully engulfed when Rural Fire District No. 7 arrived on scene, Soldan said.A mechanical failure is believed to have caused the fire, he added.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1623342472253.jpeg" alt="A Rural Fire District No. 7 firefighter checks out the burned pickup." />
 <figcaption>A Rural Fire District No. 7 firefighter checks out the burned pickup.</figcaption>
 </figure>

Fire destroys pickup; driver escapes unharmed