Fire on Harpers Ferry Bridge on Jun 24, 2024

(Satellite)

My general notes about this bridge are here. These notes are about the fire that broke out late afternoon on Jun 24, 2024.

Washington County MD Fire Calls posted five photos with the comment:

18600 BLK SANDY HOOK RD, CSX RAILROAD RIVER BRIDGE

REPORT OF FIRE ON THE BRIDGE

CO11

1545 hours 

— Units on scene confirming fire on the railroad bridge // requesting JE1, FE5, and CO8 to assist with manpower, as well as Fire Police to shut down Sandy Hook Road

— FE5 unavailable due to their own emergency call(s) // CO1 started to assist

— Now due: REHAB25, AIR25, SAF100, MAB18, FEBOAT19, BOAT2010, EMS1814, JE4, JE3, LO626 

— Drone enroute to assist with recon // requesting 2 additional engine companies from the WV side

Bret Nalley: Lol some of these theories are wild. They were doing repair welds to the rail and the ties caught on fire. How do I know? I work for them.

C Kent McKenzie shared with the comment: "Some additional photos and information about the fire on the CSX Harpers Ferry bridge, over the Potomac River."

[The numbers in the caption record the original order.]

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James Gibson posted two photos with the comment: "Fire on the bridge at Harper's ferry."

Jay Krajcovic shared

Daniel Valentine: Hope no one took a day trip to there via the Capitol, and expected a westbound return.

I know 29 got turned around. Where was 30 at when this occurred? [He is talking about Amtrak train numbers.]

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Two drone photos by Greg Dean via journal-news (paywall 8) (source). "Washington County, Maryland, firefighters had command of the scene, and they were assisted by units from Frederick County, Maryland, Loudoun County, Virginia, and Jefferson County. R.J. Hahn, lieutenant with Independent Fire Company in Ranson, was one of the firefighters responding. He confirmed that approximately 10-15 rows of railroad ties were ablaze in the center of the bridge when the call was dispatched."

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Charles Vandergriff posted eight images with the comment: "Not my photo but the Harpers Ferry WV railroad bridge is on fire and possible infrastructural damage done. Edit to add more photos."

Jason Jordan shared

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Andrew Coblentz posted
Fire on Harper's Ferry bridge today.

Zackery Leveille: Roger Parrill the heat from the fire caused the rails to buckle.

Andrew Coblentz posted with the third and seventh photos added added to this post

Wm Whittington: CSX has released a statement to media following the fire:

 https://www.lootpress.com/harpers-ferry-train-bridge-on.../

 

lootpress, Brunswick Volunteer Ambulance and Rescue/Facebook
"According to CSX, following the fire, CSX teams inspected the bridge and confirmed its structural integrity. One of the two rail lines on the bridge reopened to train traffic at 3:30 AM this morning [Jun 25]. CSX expects the other line to be restored by 11:30 AM this morning. The cause of the fire is still under investigation."
[How hard is it for the investigators to determine that rail repair welding caused the fire? This strikes me as another example of PR not wanting to admit what the mistake was.]

Andrew commented on his first post

Rick Smith commented on Andrew's first post

I sure am glad I was NOT booked to ride to MARC from WAS to Martinsburg this time.

Not as traffic ensnaring as the NEC issue Tuesday last week, but nonetheless exasperating, particularly as hot as it is. I'm also glad I'm not riding Nº 29 to WAS to CUS, since it and today's eastbound departure (Nº30) from Chicago have been canceled for this day. Today's Nº 30 seems to have made it east to WAS well before the incident.

Roy Horne commented on Andrew's first post
5:45 this morning they’re using track two and repairing track one.

safe_image for CSX crews work through night to restore train traffic on Potomac River bridge after fire
CSX is still claiming that their investigators have not yet figured out what caused the fire.
"There was no train on the bridge at the time of the fire, Washington County Emergency Services Director R. David Hays said Monday night....Two boats were in the river in case a firefighter were to fall, Hays said. None did. No injuries were reported, but one firefighter was treated on scene for minor dehydration before resuming activity, he said. Hay said 68 firefighters responded.,,,The challenges included finding a sustainable water source and accessing the fire in the middle of the bridge over the river, Hays said....Tanker trucks were used to supply water until a dedicated water service was accessed via a hydrant in Harpers Ferry, Hays said. There were no hydrants on the Maryland side of the bridge. The hose line had to be extended about 500 to 700 feet across the bridge, which Hays estimated was about 100 feet above the water."