Fleet of trains deployed with unique firefighting capability

"These are the heroes of the Union Pacific."

A specialized group of firefighters has been deployed in an effort to save communities and infrastructure from being consumed by wildfires across the western United States.

However, the firefighters cannot travel to just any fire that sparks to life. They need to follow the road ahead of them, or in this case, the rails ahead of them.

Since it was created in the 1980s, a fleet of Union Pacific Railroad fire cars has been sent all across the western U.S. to battle blazes that spark near the company's railroad tracks.

"They protect our railroad; they protect our communities. There's been many instances in which we've transported firefighters into some of the more rugged terrain," Eric Gehringer told AccuWeather's Bill Wadell. Gehringer works as the Executive Vice President of Operations at Union Pacific Railroad.

Union Pacific has 50 water cars in its fleet that can respond to wildfires in California, Oregon, Washington and Colorado.

Each of the water cars has been retrofitted with "water cannons" that can spray water 150 feet from the track.

"We're just wetting down our infrastructure and adjacent properties to protect it in the event that we do come up against a forest fire," Gehringer told AccuWeather.

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With the 2021 fire season well underway, the team of firefighters has been busy, but one particular fire in Northern California proved to be too dangerous even for the water cannons.

In late June, a fire car was sent to assist with the Lava Fire, which was burning in Shasta-Trinity National Forest. However, when the train arrived, there was a major problem.

The Union Pacific train came to the Dry Canyon Bridge, which was severely damaged by the flames making it too dangerous to cross.

"We could see the bridge was on fire - smoke was all around it, and there were small spot fires all over. At that point, we couldn't get close enough with the water tanks because the track was compromised," said Jamie Hill, Union Pacific's Director of Bridge Maintenance and Engineering.

The Dry Canyon Bridge after the Lava Fire scorched the area in June of 2021. (Image/ Union Pacific)

The Dry Canyon Bridge was so badly damaged that crews are currently working to rebuild part of the bridge. It is currently estimated to reopen by Sept. 1, according to Union Pacific.

Until the bridge is fixed, the fire crews will be traveling elsewhere across the western U.S. in what has already been an active wildfire season - but the start of the season is just the tip of the iceberg.

AccuWeather meteorologists are predicting that around 9.5 million acres of land will be scorched in the western U.S. this wildfire season, which would rank as one of the worst on record.

"We're forecasting a top-five year based on the pace, the fuels, the upper pattern and the drought situation, all of that was factored in our forecast," AccuWeather Long-Range Expert Paul Pastelok explained.

The crews will be out in force over the next several months as the fire season intensifies, protecting property and helping to contain potentially devastating wildfires.

"They are absolute heroes in my eyes," Gehringer said.

Reporting by AccuWeather National Reporter Bill Wadell.

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