PORTLAND, Ore. — BNSF Railway’s bridge across the Columbia River was reopened about 5:30 p.m. Pacific time on Tuesday, after a late-morning fire closed the bridge to all traffic, TV station KOIN reports.
The Oregonian newspaper quoted a Portland Fire & Rescue spokesman as saying the fire was started by workers using acetylene torches on the bridge. It was reported about 11 a.m. and burned for about 45 minutes before being extinguished by a fire boat. Thick black smoke from the fire was visible over a large portion of the Portland area.
The fire disrupted BNSF and Union Pacific freight traffic as well as Amtrak service. The bridge, parallel to the Interstate 5 bridge over the river, is the only rail crossing of the Columbia in the Portland area. A longer closure would have required the rerouting of all rail traffic over BNSF’s bridge in Wishram, Wash., 90 miles to the east.
good thing they put it out if they let it burn all traffic will have to use the Oregon Trunk Sub to reach Portland and all trains will have to be turned at Klamath Falls and 200 mile detour. UP and BNSF can’t do that this is why that bridge needed to be fixed it connects to the BNSF yard and UP’s Barns and Brooklyn Yard and Union Station if it is closed no train can get in and Cascades is delayed.