Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad’s trestle bridge burns; cause remains under investigation

The Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad trestle bridge fire is contained but still smoldering, railroad personnel confirmed Sunday.

Firefighters with the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) were on scene throughout the weekend and will continue monitoring the fire until it is fully extinguished.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, though officials told The Chronicle it was “human-caused.”

The bridge, located between Mineral and Morton, caught fire at about 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 30. A large portion of the bridge collapsed at approximately 5:22 p.m. on Thursday, May 1, with a secondary collapse at 5:35 p.m. that same day.

As of Sunday afternoon, Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad reported that a few spans of the 28-span trestle bridge were still upright on either end of the bridge due to support from the suspended rail.

“They’re unlikely to collapse on their own, which makes cleanup and mitigation even more complex,” Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad stated in a social media post at about 4 p.m. on Sunday. “We don’t have answers there yet — but it’s going to be a daunting process.”

A bridge engineer with Railstar Engineering, LLC, will be on site this week to help determine “a ballpark replacement cost,” according to Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad.

“He’s graciously offering his services pro bono to help us estimate costs and start working on a plan to move forward,” Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad stated in a social media post at about 8 p.m. on Sunday. “We know a lot of folks have been questioning what rebuilding it would look like and we wanted to let you know, we hope to have those answers soon.”

While the trestle fire has not impacted Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad’s regular operations, it will likely have significant negative impacts on the railroad’s plans for restoration and growth over the coming years.

Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad had plans to finish restoring the bridge, which was fully rebuilt 20 years ago, and using it to restore freight service and extend passenger excursions to Morton.

A GoFundMe started by Western Forest Industries Museum CEO Behan Maher, which runs Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad, on Thursday had raised $121,164 as of Monday afternoon to support cleanup and rebuilding efforts.

“We also want to be clear — we’re not even at the point where cleanup can begin,” Maher said in an update to the fundraiser’s page on Monday. “The site is not safe yet, sections are still smoldering and there are pockets of flames. Just getting to the point of debris removal is going to be a complex, costly process. Mitigation alone is going to take serious time, coordination, and funding.”

The railroad is encouraging people who support the railroad to contact their elected representatives to urge their support of the rebuilding effort.

“Thank you again for standing with us. You’re helping us turn devastation into determination,” Maher said in a Sunday update posted to the fundraiser’s page.
Fire investigators have determined that the fire was “human caused,” but the specific cause of the blaze was still under investigation as of Monday morning, DNR confirmed.

Human-caused fires are defined as any fires that result from human activity, such as campfires left unattended, the burning of debris, equipment use and malfunctions, negligently discarded cigarettes and intentional acts of arson.

Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad is posting updates on the fire on its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MtRainierRailroad.

Updates are also being posted to the GoFundMe page at https://gofund.me/5150356e.