A rail tunnel fire, believed to have been started by sparks from a train, has stopped all services for a week on the rail link between Oregon and California in the U.S.
The fire in the 944m long Tunnel 7, to the east of Oakridge, was discovered on 14 August at 1.30pm by a freight train crew who reported it to be burning in two places. The high temperatures made it difficult for workers to fight the fire or even assess the situation.
Further difficulties were experienced when the fire appeared to be burning behind the concrete lining. It is thought the flames were consuming old timber packing materials that possibly dated back to the tunnel’s 1920’s origins.
By 23 August it was hoped that the tunnel could reopen following reports that workers had stopped the advance of the fire the previous day. The crews managed to establish fire breaks by knocking down charred timbers, thereby stopping the flames from spreading.
