By Rob Meier
meier@newsroom.byu.edu
A brush fire in Wasatch County was started by the Heber Valley Historic Railroad, on the west end of Deer Valley Reservoir near the dam on Oct. 9.
Jim Springer, spokesperson for the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State, said the fire is believed to have consumed between 90 and 100 acres, and was caused by hot carbons blown out of the diesel engines' exhaust stacks.
Thirty-two firefighters, seven fire engines and one helicopter helped contain the fire, Springer said.
'Because of high winds and dry conditions the fire spread rapidly,' he said.
This came as a big surprise because it has never happened with the diesel locomotive, said Ken McConnell, marketing director of the Heber Valley Historical Railroad.
The steam locomotive has to take careful precautions. The steam engine has special equipment that sprays a 30 - 40 foot mist over the surrounding sage and upon the engine smoke, McConnel said.
He said this is done to cool any hot carbon cinders that could escape into the air. If a fire does start we have a small rail car equipped with fire hoses that follows behind the train.
On occasion small fires do start with the steam engine, but we have never had a fire of this magnitude, McConnel said.
Because the fire was mostly on state land, the state will decided whether or not they will collect the firefighters cost from the railroad. Most likely they will, Springer said.
McConnel said he doesn't know what the outcome will be, but is hoping insurance will cover most of the cost.
This is the last passenger steam train in the state and everything will be done to protect it, he said.
Fires started by trains is not uncommon, Springer said. The fire in Tooele County, over the summer on the Oquirre mountains was also started by a train.