Propane Blast Engulfs Yellowstone Tour Van Near Montana Border

Yellowstone National Park rangers responded to a dramatic thermal explosion Thursday evening near the west entrance, a key access point for Montana travelers from West Yellowstone. Witnesses described a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van, operating as a tour vehicle, suddenly erupting in flames after an engine fire triggered a propane tank explosion. The fully engulfed vehicle prompted an evacuation, with video footage capturing park visitors fleeing the scene amid thick black smoke, as reported by the Billings Gazette and park officials.

The National Park Service confirmed the blast occurred around 7 p.m. near Henry's Lake Flats, just inside Idaho but within 30 miles of Montana's border town of West Yellowstone, a hub for park-bound tourists from Billings, Bozeman and beyond. Park spokesperson Linda Veress stated the van carried international visitors, though exact passenger numbers remain undisclosed pending investigation. No injuries were reported, but the explosion scorched nearby vegetation and led to a brief road closure on U.S. Highway 191, a vital artery for Montanans heading to the park's geyser basins.

NPS is appealing for eyewitness accounts and cellphone video to aid the probe into the fire's cause, separate from a deadly tour van crash nearby that killed seven the same evening. That collision, involving a Ctours Inc. Sprinter from California carrying 12 Chinese nationals, one Italian and a driver, occurred outside the park near Island Park, Idaho, when it smashed into a Dodge Ram pickup driven by 25-year-old Isaih Moreno of Humble, Texas. Both vehicles ignited post-impact, highlighting safety concerns for tour operators serving Montana's Yellowstone gateway.

Local Montana outfitters in West Yellowstone expressed relief over no serious injuries in the explosion but noted increased scrutiny on propane-equipped vans common in the tourism industry. The park service emphasized ongoing geothermal monitoring, clarifying the incident was vehicle-related, not a natural thermal feature eruption. Investigations by NPS and Idaho State Police continue, with updates expected as witness statements are reviewed.