5 replies to this topic

[CNJRoss]

Daily Inter Lake, Kalispell, MT 8/26:

 

Fire crews take the train

 

With thick smoke impeding visibility and foiling aircraft operations over the past couple of days, BNSF Railway trains have been shuttling fire crews and heavy equipment into the Sheep Fire at the southern edge of Glacier National Park.

 

There firefighters have been working to build containment lines during a lull in fire activity.

 

Fire management team spokesman Greg Dinetto said Wednesday that three feller bunchers and a skidder have been railed in to help created a shaded fuel break downwind of the fire.

 

Continue here.

[CNJRoss]

BNSF customer notification:
 

 

To: All Impacted Customers

08/27/2015

Preliminary Report: Service Interruption at Essex, Montana
 

BNSF is experiencing an operational impact due to track outage, caused by wildfires in Essex, Montana. Essex, Montana approximately 52 miles East of Whitefish, Montana. The estimated time for opening for the main track has not been determined.

BNSF will continue to provide you with additional information as it becomes available. Customers may experience delays of 24 to 36 hours on shipments moving through this corridor.

 

 

[CNJRoss]

Great Falls (MT) Tribune, 8/26:
 

 

Logging equipment used to create fuel break at Essex-area fire

 

Trees and other fuels are being cut and shipped out by train to create a fuel break in the path of a 1,002-acre fire threatening 200 structures in Essex south of Glacier National Park.

 

Feller bunchers, a type of harvester used in logging, are removing logs and slash out of the fire’s path, said Jonathan Moor, a fire information officer.

 

The logs are then loaded onto BNFS Railway trains and hauled out.

 

Continue here.

[KevinKorell]

Progressive Railroading, 9/1/15:

 

BNSF feels heat of wildfires in northwestern Montana

 

BNSF Railway Co. reported to its customers yesterday that it is experiencing an operational impact due to a track outage caused by wildfires in Essex, Mont.

Burn through this story.

[CNJRoss]

BNSF Customer Notification:
 

 

To:

 

08/31/2015

Updated Report: Service Interruption at Essex, Montana

BNSF was experiencing an operational impact due to a track outage, caused by wildfires in Essex, Montana. Essex, Montana is approximately 52 miles East of Whitefish, Montana. At this time the main track is open but the fires are still burning and there may be intermittent track closures, as it becomes necessary.

 

[CNJRoss]

BNSF Customer Notifiaction:

 

09/03/2015

Final Report: Service Interruption at Essex, Montana
 

BNSF was experiencing an operational impact due to a track outage, caused by wildfires in Essex, Montana. Essex, Montana is approximately 52 miles East of Whitefish, Montana. At this time, the main tracks are now fully operational.

BNSF will continue to provide you with additional information, if another closure is needed.