Railroad Shifts to Oil to Prevent Wildfires
A change in engine fuel is welcomed as a major fire prevention strategy for Washington's forests.
In order to prevent fires along its right-of-way, caused from locomotive sparks, the operating department of the Chicago, Milwaukee & Puget Sound railroad has decided to use oil burning engines to haul its freight through Washington. The decision has met with the hearty support of D. P. Simmons, Jr., chief ranger of the Washington Forest Fire association, whose records show that the greater portion of the forest fires are caused by locomotive sparks.
“In order to prevent fires along its right-of-way, caused from locomotive sparks, the operating department... has decided to use oil burning engines.”
This reflects the early industrial era's struggle with forest fire management, a tension that still shapes life in the Pacific Northwest as climate conditions evolve.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.