Ritzville Fire responds to potential arson call

Ritzville Fire Department responded to a call about railroad ties on fire around 9:15 p.m. on May 22. The fire burned thousands of piled railroad ties near the Heinemann Road crossing on North Freese Road.

Adams County Fire Protection District No.1 Chief Scott Kembel said 17 local firemen responded to the call, taking eight trucks to the scene.

Kembel said the crew arrived at the scene and quickly realized the intensity at which the fire was burning. They asked for mutual aid assistance from Lind and Sprague fire departments. Lind responded with a brush truck and a water tanker, while Sprague assisted with another tanker.

Due to the proximity of the fire to the railroad tracks, rail traffic was stopped for over an hour and a half while crews worked to manage the flames. An Amtrak train was allowed to pass through, but freight traffic did not come through the area for almost three hours, Kembel said.

The fire crews worked with Burlington Northern Santa Fe employees to separate and extinguish the stack of railroad ties. BNSF used machinery to pull the stacks apart, allowing firefighters to knock down the flames.

Crews remained on scene until 3:30 a.m. monitoring the area for hot spots.

Kembel said the crews did well working together and the department appreciated the mutual aid provided by the two other districts. He was also thankful for the dispatchers helping coordinate calls, as well as the ambulance crew who stayed on site for rehabilitation.

The crews were able to use water from the McGregor property, and Kembel said he was grateful for the convenience and being able to use the water. He said thankfully the surrounding area was green enough the fire did not spread, but with thousands of rail ties burning at once, the blaze required an excessive amount of water.

Kembel said the unusual circumstances of the fire led to the department asking Adams County Sheriff’s Office to send a deputy to investigate the fire.

With weather conditions being partially cloudy and no lightening in the area, ACSO proceeded to investigate the case as arson.

Deputy Roy Montalvo responded to the scene and reported no suspicious vehicles or persons in the area. Upon contacting a BNSF representative, ACSO learned the railroad did not own the ties and they had been sold to a contract company.

The property where the fire occurred did however belong to the railroad, the report stated.

The area around the ties was inspected but there was not evidence to collect. Montalvo cleared the scene and patrolled the surrounding area, but was unable to locate any suspicious vehicle or persons.

The investigation is ongoing as ACSO works to obtain property owner information and a damage account.