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Investigators Say Train Responsible For Grass Fires

BEND, OR -- Fire crews spent more than an hour chasing grass and brush fires along the railroad tracks, stretching from Redmond to Bend, Monday morning. The first was reported near Highway 97 and NE Hemlock, in Redmond, at about 9:15 a.m. About 30 minutes later, others were spotted in Bend.

 

Bend Battalion Chief Dave Howe says his crews responded to three separate incidents near Highway 97 at Cooley Road, Empire Avenue and Butler Market Road, and train traffic halted for a couple of hours. "Because of the placement of the fires, we had to actually put our hose lines across the railroad tracks, which always kind of makes things more difficult because then the trains have to stop. And, you never know when it’s going to stop or where they’re going to stop. It just means more communication and a greater eye toward safety on the tracks." He says the number of fires and conditions required a separate team be dispatched to each incident, stretching resources. 

 

Howe says they quickly figured out the fires were connected to a southbound train. "There was a Forest Service cause investigator and then one of our people and they’re pretty sure it was brakes that went bad on the train. That happens occasionally; it’s just part of having trains come through town." He says thick, dry grass and brush allowed fire to spread quickly. "It [the train] throws out sparks. If it’s moist – say, it just rained or it’s in the wintertime, it could do that and you’d never even know it. When it happens this time of year, we usually have fires out of it. There’s a lot of trains that go by and this only happens a couple times of year."

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