Fire investigators close in on cause of trestle fire | News

NEAR ORCHARDS, Wash. - Fire investigators believe a train trestle fire was caused by a person but they're not sure if it was intentional.

The fire happened at a trestle located east of Interstate 205 near 119th Street and Padden Parkway. A private railroad uses the line, owned by Clark County, for scenic rail tours. Repairs are expected to take several weeks.

Nearby residents told KATU they had seen a lot of activity near the trestle, mostly involving homeless people. At the scene, we noticed graffiti, tents and empty bottles of alcohol.

The trestle was covered with creosote, a substance often used to protect the timber used to construct a rail bridge from deterioration. However, creosote is also highly flammable when ignited.

Previous Story

• Train trestle catches fire north of Vancouver