Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Fire causes brief closure of highway

Officials suspect blaze due to tossed cigarette

Julia Dendinger News-Bulletin Staff Writer; cgarcia@news-bulletin.com

Los Chavez A two-acre grass fire along N.M. Highway 314 in Los Chavez closed down the northbound lane for almost four hours on Monday.

Valencia County Fire Chief Charles Eaton said the call about the fire came into the dispatch center around 3 p.m. When fire personnel arrived on scene, both of the north and southbound lanes were closed, Eaton said. Eaton said most of the blaze was concentrated between the highway and the railroad tracks east of the road.

"There was some to the east of the tracks, but the most intense was between the roadway and the tracks," he said. "We opened the southbound lane around 4 p.m., but we kept the northbound lane closed till around 7 p.m. We were concerned for the safety of our personnel along the road; there was poor visibility due to the shifting smoke, and we didn't want an accident."

Sandwiched between the road and the railroad tracks, Eaton said, the firefighters had to coordinate with the Rail Runner trains. "We worked with them to slow down and blow their horn when they were coming through the incident," he said. "That way we could make sure our personnel stayed clear."

Eaton said Burlington Northern-Santa Fe and its maintenance contractor, Herzog, inspected the tracks after the fire was extinguished. "They did a thorough inspection, and there was no damage," he said.

The grass fire did not endanger any of the buildings or homes in the nearby Mid-Valley Air Park, Eaton said, but a PNM gas line in the railroad right-of-way did give fire crews something to keep an eye on.

"These types of facilities are supposed to be somewhat safe and secure, but anytime they are present, they are definitely worth watching," he said.

While the cause of the fire hasn't been determined, Eaton said the most likely source was a cigarette butt tossed from a car.

"There weren't any trains through there during the time of the fire," he said.

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