Note: The following post is a quote:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1802227/posts
CA: Investigators search for cause of trestle fire (Sacramento)
Sac Bee ^ | 3/16/07 | Tony Bizjak, Ryan Lillis and Ramon Coronado
Posted on 03/16/2007 8:46:36 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
Fire investigators are labeling the massive fire that destroyed a train bridge Thursday night as "suspicious" and are asking for the public's help in determining whether it was arson.
An arson tip line has been set up and Fire Capt. Jim Doucette said the blaze "moved very, very fast," leading investigators to suspect it may have been set.
"Until we rule it out I would call it suspicious," Doucette said about noon Friday.
Investigators say it is unlikely that a grass fire sparked the blaze because the vegetation in the area is not dry enough for that.
The fire that erupted on Union Pacific tracks over the American River near Cal Expo was still smoldering at some points Friday morning, but firefighters expect to extinguish in the afternoon, fire officials report Friday morning.
The fast-moving fire, first reported at 5:41 p.m., quickly consumed the heavy-duty trestle timber and tracks just north of the river and west of the Capital City Freeway.
James Barnes, UP spokesman, said the last passenger train to travel over the bridge was 15 minutes before the fire was reported. The last freight train to cross the trestle was 45 minutes. Neither train reported anything out of the ordinary, which could explain how the fire started, Barnes said.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
It was a very spectacular fire. However, it spread VERY quickly across a 1000 foot span of trestle. There was a UP train that crossed 15 minutes before, but it would have had to have very significant break or other issues to have started the bridge on fire as it would have set the train on fire too.