Mount Edgecrumbe Eruption
It was just another peaceful day for the residents of the small town of Sitka, Alaska. The residents of the town lived within sight of a long dormant volcano which had not been active for centuries. Few people believed that there was any chance of the volcano erupting and so they just enjoyed the beautiful view that it provided. That was until the morning of April 1, 1974. The people of the town woke up to see black smoke rising up from the top of the mountain.
People left their homes and filled the streets to look at the mountain in worry. They feared that the smoke was a sure sign that the volcano was going to erupt and that the town was in immediate danger. Terrified calls came into the police and the Coast Guard. To get answers the Coast Guard sent a helicopter was sent to investigate and when it got over the crater, the pilot could not help but laugh. There in the middle of the crater was a stack of burning tires and the words “APRIL FOOL” in 50 foot black letters.
The prank was done by Oliver “Porky” Bicar who had been waiting and planning for three years for an April Fool’s Day clear enough to be able to see the mountain from the town. He arranged for a chopper to fly him up to the crater of the mountain. He placed 70 tires inside canvas slings that he could then attached to helicopter.
Then flew to the crater with some friends, taking with them smoke bombs, several gallons of kerosene, rags and paint. Then they lit the tires and made their way back home. They even made a point of telling the FAA controller and the local police of the plan. They just forgot to mention it to the Coast Guard.