A recent announcement by authorities revealed that a wildfire near the town of Wickenburg in Arizona, which destroyed 15 structures and incurred close to $1 million in suppression costs, was ignited by railroad activities. The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management disclosed that investigatory efforts pointed to a portion of severed railroad track resulting from maintenance work along the BNSF rail line as the cause of the fire. The fire, known as the Rose Fire, is believed to have initiated due to sparks generated by welding, grinding, or torching operations on the tracks, as stated by Tiffany Davila, a spokesperson for the department. The specific location where the fire began was determined by observing its directional spread from the railroad tracks.
BNSF, the railway company associated with the incident, expressed their infrequent occurrence of fires along the rail line and emphasized their dedication to preventing such incidents. Kendall Sloan, a spokesperson for BNSF, mentioned in a statement the company’s commitment to supporting local fire suppression initiatives and assisting affected communities when such rare events occur. Furthermore, BNSF aims to enhance fire risk mitigation strategies around their tracks and collaborate closely with local authorities during fire-prone periods like fire season.
The wildfire, encompassing 266 acres, ignited on June 12 and was successfully contained after five days of firefighting efforts, with an estimated cost of roughly $971,000, according to Davila. Apart from the structural damages, the fire consumed 12 vehicles, a horse trailer, and a recreational vehicle. Additionally, the blaze led to a temporary closure of U.S. 60, a vital thoroughfare connecting metro Phoenix and Las Vegas. Wickenburg, situated about 60 miles northwest of Phoenix, bore the brunt of the destructive wildfire, with significant losses to property and transportation routes in the region.
