On Wednesday, February 1, at approximately 6 p.m. first responders arrived on the scene of a rear locomotive fire in Rollinsville. A blown turbo on a Union Pacific train was rumored to be the source of the fire.

Residents called 911 and took photos of the crisis. No evacuation was necessary and the proper authorities, including Timberline Fire Department and the Gilpin County Sheriff’s Office, arrived promptly. Fortunately, the fire died down on its own and did not involve a hazmat train car.

The Gilpin County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement and delivered a message via Hyper Reach around 7 p.m. informing residents to not call 911 about the incident as they were aware of the fire with authorities already on the scene.

Anastasia Kierst, a Rollinsville resident, was nearby when she noticed smoke at about 5:40 p.m. She reported that first responders arrived in the area within 10-15 minutes, but it took them longer to reach the fire on foot because of the terrain.

When asked about her experience, she responded, “We called 911 and Union Pacific. It seemed they might not have known that their train was on fire! About 15 emergency vehicles responded. It looked like the 4th of July parade down in Rollinsville!”

Kierst texted her neighbors to warn them, but said she wasn’t worried about evacuating since the fire seemed confined to the train car. She took photos and video from her deck above the tracks which she uploaded to Facebook.

“We watched the fire burn itself out just as the fire fighters arrived on foot,” said Kierst.

Kierst said that the fire was burning until about 6:30 p.m.

Union Pacific Communications Manager, Robynn Tysver, responded with the following comment, “A citizen observed a rear locomotive emitting flames near 506 Patricia Road in Rollinsville, Colorado. Our train crew was notified and they stopped and inspected the train.

The incident occurred at about 6 p.m. MST on February 1 (Wednesday). The blaze was extinguished, and the train was secured at a siding. No one was injured. We have not confirmed the cause of the fire. It is still under investigation.”

Her answers, though helpful, led to more questions. Timberline Fire Chief Paul Ondr also responded to inquiries. Chief Ondr said, “At 17:56:28 Timberline Fire (TFPD) was dispatched to reports of a train on fire in the area of Rollinsville. Multiple 911 callers were reporting seeing 30-foot flames from the train. Due to the potential severity of this incident additional water tenders were requested from Coal Creek, Nederland, and Golden Gate Fire Department. While responding TFPD personnel could see a large fire approximately one quarter mile east of the end of Main Street. The first TFPD unit arrived at established Main Street Command at 18:06:46, 10 minutes and 18 seconds after initial dispatch.

Once TFPD was in contact with train company representatives it was determined that the train consisted of approximately 100 empty tank cars - these were carrying crude oil. The train had stopped on a sidetrack to allow the eastbound Amtrak train to pass; the railroad was notified by Gilpin County Dispatch that they were receiving 911 calls reporting the train was on fire.

Initially it was believed the fire involved one of the tank cars. Shortly after arrival it was determined the fire was coming from the rear locomotive. After the emergency shutdown was activated the fire activity reduced significantly. The train was then moved west to the crossing at the east end of Main Street to facilitate further investigation and better access.

After further investigation and cooling of the locomotive it was determined that an engine mechanical failure caused oil to be injected into the exhaust which caught fire. Once the locomotive was shut down the remaining fire was residual oil in the exhaust.

The total response to this incident included three water tenders, four fire engines, two wildland trucks, one ambulance, and multiple support vehicles. A total of 22 firefighters were on scene.”

Timberline’s emergency response was impressive, in its response time and breadth of support to protect the community. Special thanks go to all those involved in this effort to keep our mountains and homes free from fire danger, and maintain the safety of its citizens.

If you are a Gilpin County resident and would like to sign up for community safety alerts on your cell phone and/or email, please visit Timberline’s website at https:// timberlinefpd.colorado.gov/ and click on the Hyper Reach Reverse 911 signup link which will take you to this page: https://signup.hyperreach.com/hyper_ reach/sign_ up_ page_ 2/?id=84582.

Enter your information so that you can be alerted to emergencies and weather warnings in your area. This is a free service for Gilpin County residents and will inform you of events, such as this one, to help keep you, your family and your home safe in a crisis.