Nothing but a prank call! One of the most legendary April Fools’ jokes ever has to do with a fake eruption that terrorized an entire town in Alaska. On the morning of April 1, 1974, Sitka residents panicked when they saw smoke coming out of the crater of Mount Edgecumbe, a volcano that had been dormant for 4,000 years.
The calls to the authorities began to multiply. But there was no anomalous seismic activity.
Suspicious, the Coast Guard decided to send a helicopter to investigate. He soon realized that the volcano had nothing to do with it: 70 tires were burning in the crater. It was all a crazy joke, as confirmed by the writing “April Fools” drawn on the snow.
An epic prank planned for years
Behind that stunt was Oliver “Porky” Bickar, a barber and World War II veteran who had been planning April Fools’ Day for 3 years. On the morning of the prank, he whispered to his wife Patty, “This is it. We have to do it today.”
To implement Oliver Bickar had contacted several helicopter owners and, after several refusals, found Earl Walker of Temsco who agreed to participate. On board the helicopter he brought about 70 tires, which he set on fire with kerosene and smoke bombs. And the reaction was immediate: several citizens fled, fearing the worst.
The creator of the prank had informed the police and the Federal Aviation Office, but had forgotten to alert the Coast Guard. Once it was discovered that it was a hoax, the citizens themselves admitted that the April Fool’s eruption joke was ingenious. News of the prank reached the Associated Press and was published in every newspaper in the country.
Even today it is considered one of the most brilliant April Fools’ jokes of all time.
