WALLACEBURG – Railroad ties on a bridge under an abandoned stretch of railway near here caught on fire Tuesday afternoon sending up smoke visible from many kilometers away.
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Firefighters from Station No. 3 Wallaceburg and Station No. 2 Chatham were dispatched to Running Creek Road when a call came in at 12:50 p.m. reporting large flames could be seen in the area, said Chatham-Kent Fire and Rescue in a media release .
“When crews arrived there were five-foot flames and black smoke coming from railroad ties,” CKFR said.
The wooden rail bridge crosses over Running Creek outside of Wallaceburg.
Wallaceburg volunteer firefighters were also dispatched along with Tanker 5 from Tupperville and a tanker shuffle was established to bring water to the scene and portable pumps were operated, CKFR said.
Neighboring homes were visited and advised about toxic smoke and the provincial environment ministry was notified, the CKFR added.
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CKFR said the cause is undetermined.
Firefighters eventually got the stubborn blaze under control.
Wallaceburg resident Heather Cooper said she was on Wallace Street near by the LO Stonehouse walking bridge in the downtown when she first saw the smoke.
“I could see a bunch of smoke and then I saw a fire truck heading that way,” she said.
When Cooper arrived at the residence of Brennan McClinton, she told him something was on fire.
McClinton initially drove to a church parking lot on the other side of Running Creek where he “saw a bunch of smoke pouring out.
“As soon as I got to the church parking lot, I knew right then and there it was the bridge (on fire),” he said.
McClinton and Cooper decided to go down Running Creek Road to get a closer look at the fire.
“The next thing you know there is just black and brown, every color smoke you could think of, pouring out of the bridge,” McClinton said.
He said the rail track has been closed for many years and people have been using the bridge as a fishing spot.
“I know there used to be a picnic table on top of it, just for people to sit at and go fishing,” McClinton said.
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