This story originally aired on Trains.com.
MONTREAL – Canadian National was able to reopen its main line through Jasper, Alberta, this afternoon while keeping a close eye on a pair of wildfires that have been threatening the resort town.
“CN resumed rail operations at approximately 12 Noon MST on Wednesday, July 24, through Jasper. In collaboration with the Unified Incident Command centre managed by Parks Canada, CN developed and implemented an operational plan that allows trains to safely...
Every Friday, FreightWaves takes a look at the past week or so in social media, highlighting images in trucking, transportation and weather. This week features a 100-vehicle pileup in a Midwest snowstorm, another winter California wildfire and a dust storm in the Southwest.
GridlockA powerful storm Thursday produced freezing rain and heavy snow in the Midwest. Truckers and other drivers were delayed in spots from the Upper Mississippi Valley through the Great Lakes region. Accidents led to a...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/hot-shots-snowstorm-wildfire-dust-storm
#kt-adv-heading_ffe3e4-0d, #kt-adv-heading_ffe3e4-0d .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading {font-size:20px;font-weight:400;font-family:Montserrat;}
To view more FreightWaves infographics, click here
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/daily-infographic-how-costly-were-2021-us-weather-disasters
Crews fighting a wildfire along the central coast of California near the iconic Pacific Coast Highway (State Route 1) made progress Sunday in containing the blaze. However, people in dozens of homes remained under evacuation orders.
Related: How costly were 2021 US weather disasters?
Named the Colorado fire, the blaze started Friday evening in Palo Colorado Canyon in the Big Sur region of Monterey County, California. It swelled to 1,050 acres Saturday, up from 100 acres a day prior, fire...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/wildfire-forces-shutdown-of-pacific-coast-highway
Earlier this month, a federal grand jury in Sacramento, California, indicted a former university instructor on charges related to an arson spree near the massive Dixie fire this summer.
Related: Tanker pilot dies in crash while fighting Colorado wildfire
The indictment charges Gary Stephen Maynard, 47, of San Jose, California, with setting four small fires over the course of two weeks in July and August. According to prosecutors, two of the blazes could have trapped firefighters battling the...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/ex-university-instructor-charged-with-setting-4-california-fires
An air tanker pilot died in a crash Tuesday evening while attempting to extinguish the Kruger Rock wildfire in northern Colorado.
The pilot has been identified as Marc Thor Olson, according to CO Fire Aviation Inc., the company that owned the aircraft.
Related: What does ‘containing a wildfire’ actually mean?
“The CO Fire Aviation family is deeply saddened by the sudden, tragic loss of one of our brothers serving as a tanker pilot,” officials said in a statement on Facebook.
CO Fire Aviation also...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/tanker-pilot-dies-in-crash-while-fighting-colorado-wildfire
Officials in northern Colorado urged residents near the Kruger Rock fire to evacuate immediately, and a stretch of highway in the area remained closed.
The Larimer County, Colorado, Sheriff’s Office said an investigation has revealed that high winds blew a tree onto a nearby powerline causing it to arc and start the fire.
Related: Self-described ‘shaman’ arrested in California wildfire arson
The late-season blaze started early Tuesday morning near Estes Park, just east of Rocky Mountain National...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/colorado-wildfire-prompts-road-closure-evacuations
The Alisal fire started Monday afternoon near the Alisal Reservoir in Southern California’s Santa Ynez mountains, forcing a shutdown of part of a major highway. Fortunately, firefighters have been able to gain control of the blaze, and the road is open again.
Strong northwest winds pushed the fire south over the summit toward the Tajiguas Landfill...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/major-us-highway-in-california-reopens-near-alisal-wildfire
A raging wildfire continues to spread toward Lake Tahoe, a popular resort region that draws approximately 15 million visitors a year, according to the Tahoe Fund website. The area is famous for its beautiful waters, sandy beaches, remote mountain trails and world-class ski resorts.
#CaldorFire continues to burn along Highway 50 in the @cityofslt area today fueled by high winds. Here is some video taken just east of Echo Summit. 50 remains closed from Pollock Pines to South Lake Tahoe, 89 to...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/raging-wildfire-inches-closer-to-lake-tahoe
Dozens of wildfires are still burning across the West, producing smoke, poor air quality and leading to road closures in some areas. It’s unlikely the situation will get better in the coming weeks and months.
Bootleg fireThe Bootleg fire in southern Oregon has been burning since early July and now covers a little more than 300,000 acres — the size of New York City. It’s the largest fire in the U.S., first reported in Fremont-Winema National Forest, approximately 11 miles northeast of the town of...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/oregons-bootleg-fire-now-as-big-as-new-york-city