(The following article was published by the Associated Press.)
EAST MOLINE, Ill. — Sparks from passing railroad engines touched off a grass fire this week that charred about 200-acres in East Moline and nearby Silvis, investigators have determined.
Brush along the rails — dried by an 8-month drought that has gripped the area — was ignited by sparks caused by friction as wheels slid across the tracks instead of rolling, fire officials said.
The fast-moving blaze burned for more than three hours, forcing evacuation of about 50 homes and at least three businesses. Nearly 8,000 customers briefly lost power, and some streets were closed.
Five area communities have temporarily banned open burning in the wake of the fire, which shot flames 50 feet into the air and left a cloud of smoke that was visible for miles.
East Moline, Moline, Port Byron, Cordova and Hillsdale have halted residential and landscape burning until rainfall eases the risk of fires.
Since Sept. 1, precipitation is more than 10 inches below normal in the Quad Cities. The Quad Cities and the northern third of Illinois are mired in a moderate to severe drought, the lowest levels on a four-tier drought scale issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.