UP restores singed bridge, continues to combat wildfires in northern California
8/4/2021
By Jeff Stagl, Managing Editor
In late June, a rampaging lava fire in Shasta-Trinity National Forest heavily damaged Union Pacific Railroad’s Dry Canyon Bridge and nine miles of track located near Hotlum, California.
The fire north of Redding — which involved the area’s ancient lava flows — was caused by a lightning strike on June 24. The wildfire consumed more than 25,000 acres and at one time prompted an evacuation order involving more than 8,000 people.
UP needed many people of its own and some heavy equipment to repair the bridge and track. The Class I used three large cranes weighing up to 600 tons, standing 150 feet tall and spanning 1,200 feet, to perform the heavy-duty work. Crews toiled around the clock to hasten the work.
The Shasta-Trinity National Forest fire — which involved the area’s ancient lava flows — was caused by a June 24 lightning strike. Union Pacific RailroadThanks to dozens of engineering and operating department employees’ tireless efforts, the bridge reopened on Aug. 1, a month ahead of the original estimated completion date of Sept. 1, said UP spokesperson Robynn Tysver in an email.
UP staged inbound trains at strategic locations to help work off the train backlog so deliveries to customers could be expedited after the bridge reopened.
Although the railroad was able to restore the bridge and reopen its impacted line in northern California, the state’s largest ongoing wildfire continues nearly 150 miles to the south in an area near Chico, California. Known as the Dixie Fire, it now has impacted about 250,000 acres and is only one-third contained.
Last week, a fire jumped UP tracks and damaged the decking on two bridges on the railroad’s route north of Oroville. The Class I expects the bridges to reopen for service sometime this week.
“We continue to work closely with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to minimize any potential fire damage,” Tysver wrote. “Firefighters also continue to ride our water trains and assist crews in protecting structures.”
Meanwhile, the Class I last month also closely monitored a massive forest fire near Beckwourth, California, about 120 miles east of the Dixie Fire.
Although Union Pacific was able to restore the Dry Canyon Bridge, the state’s largest ongoing wildfire continues nearly 150 miles to the south in an area near Chico, California. Known as the Dixie Fire, it now has impacted about 250,000 acres and is only one-third contained. Meanwhile, UP last month also closely monitored a massive forest fire near Beckwourth. Union Pacific RailroadSome ties were damaged, but bridge structures remained intact. As a precaution, the railroad positioned water trucks in the area’s highest-risk zones.
Contained in late July, the Beckwourth fire scorched more than 105,000 acres.
Moreover, UP last month faced flooding and track washouts south of Milford, Utah. Engineering forces completed track repairs after waters receded.
That portion of the railroad’s network was being used to reroute trains from the wildfires and the bridge outage in northern California, so operations were greatly hampered for a number of days.
