Lincoln Fire and Rescues battled a railroad bridge fire west of downtown early Monday morning. LFR Public Information Manager MJ Lierman says the Union Pacific bridge located over Salt Creek near Pinnacle Bank Arena was engulfed in flames around 3:45 a.m.
She says they had a hard time getting trucks to the fire due to limited weight capabilities. “We did call our brush rig because the grass was on fire and was spreading. The bridge is a total loss.”
Lierman says the the intense flames caused it to collapse around 5:30 a.m..
KLIN News reached out to Union Pacific for a statement. “The blaze has been contained, and the incident is under investigation. Union Pacific has an engineering team surveying the situation.” No injuries were reported.
The track is an active rail line and Lierman says it has been used periodically by Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe. While the specific cause is not known, Lierman says there is a known homeless encampment in the area. She says due to the bitterly cold temperatures, It’s possible there were campfires that could have been a contributing factor.
The Parks and Recreation Department says the paved portion of the Salt Creek Levee Trail that travels under the two railroad bridges east and southeast of the Breslow Hockey Center is now closed due to the damage.
Trail users must now use the limestone trail just east of the paved trail to avoid the two bridge underpasses. The trail closures are marked, and trail users are asked to watch for emergency and repair vehicles in the area.
(Photo: KLIN’s Chris Lofgreen)