WICKENBURG, Ariz. — A June wildfire that destroyed 15 structures near the town of Wickenburg and cost nearly $1 million to fight was caused by BNSF Railway work, according to fire officials.
The 266-acre Rose Fire, which began on June 12 and was contained five days later, was started by sparks from a welder, grinder, or torch used to cut a section of rail, according to officials from the Arizona Department of Forestry. KSAZ-TV reports that investigators determined the work on the rail line was the fire’s point of origin because of how the fire moved upslope away from the tracks.
A Department of Forestry spokeswoman said seven of the structures destroyed were primary residences. About 200 firefighters worked to control the blaze at a cost estimated at $971,000.
BNSF spokeswoman Kendall Sloan, in a statement reported by KPHO-TV, said “Fires along our rail line are infrequent, but we work hard to try and prevent them. In the rare event one occurs, we assist municipalities in suppression efforts and help the communities that are affected. … We remain committed to learning from this incident by continuing to reduce the risk of fire around our tracks and working closely with local agencies during fire season.”
Wickenburg is approximately 54 miles northwest of Phoenix on BNSF’s Phoenix Subdivision.
Get out the checkbook.
Did the crews use the cutting shield? Did they have a backpack water pump handy? Both of these are standard issue for cutting in areas with flammable vegetation. Sounds like some crew retraining needed.