(The New Haven Register posted the following story on its website on April 17.)
NEW HAVEN, Conn. — At least four small brushfires broke out along Amtrak-owned railroad tracks in North Haven and Wallingford early Wednesday afternoon. No one was injured and no trains were affected.Wallingford firefighters were called to John Street and South Colony Road at 12:08 p.m., and were on scene for 61 minutes, according to Lt. Ed Butkus.
Butkus said the fire occurred in a right of way between the tracks and South Colony Road, and did not endanger any homes or businesses.
Dan Stessel, a spokesman for Amtrak in Washington, D.C., said Amtrak received a call from the Berlin Fire Department at 12:10 p.m., and heard from Wallingford about one minute later.
“Amtrak was not affected based on the way the schedule worked out today,” Stessel said. “Our (northbound) train had already run through. Another train, headed south, was running late.”
Fire officials did not have an exact cause Wednesday afternoon, though Stessel said it is possible a train could have thrown sparks as it went through, igniting the fires in dry brush.
In North Haven, a brush fire broke out behind the Sunoco station at 610 Washington Ave., near the Wallingford line, at 12:10 p.m. Another ignited behind the office building at 127 Washington Ave. and McDonald s at 12:18. North Haven Deputy Fire Chief Jack Brockett said he asked Amtrak to shut down service for safety reasons between 12:30 and 1 p.m.