MOUNT RAINIER, Wash. — New drone video shows the extensive fire damage to the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad’s largest wooden trestle bridge and the surrounding area.
The heat from the fire twisted and melted the steel railroad tracks, and sections of the bridge collapsed.
“Our drone footage shows what we couldn’t quite capture from the ground: the scale of the destruction to our bridge and the surrounding area,” Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad wrote on Facebook. “The fire is still smoldering. The rail has twisted and melted in the heat. The damage is worse than we feared.”
The blaze, which happened on a critical 28-span bridge between Mineral and Morton, was reported to the fire department at 6:40 p.m. Wednesday. By the time crews arrived over an hour later, the damage was extensive.
A spokesperson for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources told KOMO News the fire was “human-caused” but added that the investigation is still ongoing.
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According to the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad, the fire happened just hours after the railway’s total sale to WFIM was finalized.
The bridge, which was rebuilt 20 years ago and deemed structurally sound, was essential for reopening freight and passenger services to Morton.
“Bridges do not spontaneously combust. Someone did this. Whether through recklessness or malice, someone set in motion the destruction of decades of infrastructure and millions in future regional impact,” a representative told KOMO News.
Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad is a heritage railway that offers inclusive and sustainable recreation for visitors. Passengers board in Elbe and take an 18-mile ride on a vintage logging locomotive through the countryside, with a terminus at a historic logging museum.
WFIM spent two and a half years rebuilding the railroad mile by mile, carrying “more passengers than ever,” opening access, clearing track, and more.
“Our team is still here, working with investigators, engineers, and emergency personnel,” wrote Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad on Facebook. “Our in-service track is still operational for steam train excursions. And the outpouring of support from this community has kept us going through one of the hardest weeks we’ve ever faced.”
Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad concluded on Friday social media post that they’ve started a GoFundMe.
“We’ve raised our GoFundMe goal — not out of greed, but out of grim necessity. The cost of mitigation, investigation, and eventual rebuilding will be in the millions. We’re a nonprofit, not engineers, and the first step is getting the right experts on board to chart a path forward.”
Anyone with information about the fire is asked to contact the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.
