(The Associated Press circulated the following article on March 16.)
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A 300-foot stretch of an elevated railroad trestle caught fire and partially collapsed Thursday evening, sending a dramatic wall of thick, black smoke thousands of feet into the air and disrupting rail traffic.
The blaze forced Amtrak to halt a westbound train from Reno to Sacramento, said George Elsmore, railroad operations and safety program manager for the California Public Utilities Commission. Freight traffic also was disrupted throughout Northern California.
“This is a main line for the Union Pacific. It’s a major line right over the American River,” he said.
Amtrak spokesman Cliff Cole said about 130 passengers had been stranded on a train in Roseville, a suburb northeast of the capital, for nearly five hours. He said the company will use buses along the route on Friday, and may have to suspend rail service on the damaged portion of track indefinitely.
Fire officials said they had not determined how the blaze started. But the creosote-soaked trestle — which keeps trains elevated above local roads and a wetlands area — fueled an intense fire that could be seen more than 50 miles away. Firefighters had put out about 75 percent of the blaze late Thursday and expected the flames to go out by morning, said Sacramento Fire Capt. Jim Doucette.
The trestle supports a key rail artery leading into Sacramento. Officials reported that several Amtrak trains were scheduled to travel through that section of track and were being stopped.
Freight lines also were stalled by the fire, Union Pacific officials said.
The trestle could be seen buckling under the intense heat and partially collapsed after sunset. No train was involved in the fire, Barnes said, and there were no reports of injuries.