CPR Section House

CPR Section House

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Railways and Forest Fires

In the days of steam , railways were the path of human contact through tinder dry forests . The sparks of dragging wheels , hot cinders blown from the stack and hotboxes on fire caused many forest fires .

vasmokeybear.blogspot

1908 LongLake West fire
www.nysforestranger.com

Looking for Railfires
USDA Forest Service
If the intense heat of severe drought can cause this...

Severe Drought and intense heat waves hit Russia
taco.assoc-web.com

... then what will the current fire near Kirkland Lake , Ontario leave behind for this high rail crew.

Kirkland Lake Fire ,May 2012
photo from Willy Renaud


Now why would a maintenance-of-way crew be out on the tracks with a fire raging toward them by the look of the flames?
The most they could do would be to return when its all come and gone, to assess damage.

However , one suggestion was that perhaps they dropped a fire fighting crew in the area and are waiting to evacuate them when needed. That sounds sensible since everyone who can is helping out on this fire . And the railway is the only way in to some areas where roads are few.

What do you think?



  

1 comment:

Rick (Ratty) said...

That sounds like a reasonable explanation to me.