Railroad maintenance sparked wildfire that destroyed homes near Wickenburg, officials say
MARICOPA COUNTY, Ariz. - Work on a railroad is blamed for sparking a wildfire near Wickenburg that destroyed several homes and forced evacuations, officials said.
The Rose Fire sparked just outside of Wickenburg on June 12. It burned 266 acres before being fully contained on June 17.
"In total, 15 structures were destroyed, seven of which were primary residences," said Tiffany Davila of the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management.
Davila said cooler nighttime temperatures, a rise in humidity and the arrival of about 200 local, state and federal firefighters helped quell the fire, along with aircraft scooping water from a nearby reservoir to drop on flames.
The fire also temporarily shut down the U.S. 60 highway.
On Aug. 19, officials said railroad maintenance operations were identified as the cause of the wildfire.
"During the investigation, investigators found a section of cut railroad track from work conducted along the BNSF rail line," AZ Forestry said. "They determined that area to be the point of origin because of how the fire moved away from the tracks, upslope. Investigators concluded the fire started from sparks due to hot work, or use of a welder, grinder, or torch used to cut the rail line."
Costs to suppress the Rose Fire are estimated to be $971,000.
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