Key Facts
- Freight railroads prepare for wildfires year-round by managing vegetation, inspecting infrastructure and equipment, monitoring conditions, and coordinating with emergency responders.
- As wildfire risk increases, railroads may increase inspections, adjust maintenance activities, slow or stop trains, and temporarily close routes to protect employees, communities, and the rail network.
- After a wildfire, railroads inspect track, bridges, signals, communications systems, and surrounding terrain before restoring service and delivering the supplies communities need to recover.
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Adapted for listening and narrated by a real person. Read the full narration at the bottom of this page.
Freight trains can and do operate during wildfires. But when conditions threaten employees, communities, or the rail network, railroads may slow, stop, reroute, or temporarily suspend service. Preparation starts long before a fire begins. Throughout the year, freight railroads manage vegetation, inspect infrastructure and equipment, monitor changing conditions, and coordinate with emergency responders. These proactive steps help railroads reduce wildfire risks and restore service as quickly and safely as possible when wildfires do happen.
How do wildfires affect freight train operations?
Wildfires can threaten much more than the track itself. Extreme heat, smoke, and flames can damage bridges, signals, communications equipment, utility lines, grade crossings, tunnels, and other railroad infrastructure. Smoke can also make it harder for firefighters to access the railroad and for rail crews to inspect damaged infrastructure before trains can safely pass. Depending on the conditions, railroads may slow trains, temporarily suspend operations, or close sections of track until it is safe to resume service.
What do railroads do to prevent wildfires?
Railroads reduce wildfire risk through routine, year-round work along the track and across their equipment. That work focuses on limiting fuel for fires, catching mechanical issues early, and adding extra precautions when conditions are especially dry.
Clearing vegetation along the right-of-way
Managing vegetation along the right-of-way is one of the most important ways railroads reduce wildfire risk. Crews mow grass, trim trees, remove brush, clear dead trees, and remove debris around track, bridges, signals, and access roads. Removing dry vegetation reduces the fuel available for fires, improves visibility, and helps employees and firefighters reach affected areas more quickly. Railroads balance those efforts with environmental requirements. They also protect slopes, drainage, and the ground that supports the track.
Inspecting equipment for sparks and heat
Railroads also work to prevent sparks or excessive heat from trains and maintenance activities. Crews inspect locomotives and railcars throughout the year, with additional attention during periods of elevated fire danger. Employees look for dragging equipment, sticking brakes, overheated wheels, debris near exhaust systems, and other mechanical issues that could create sparks. Wayside detectors and digital train inspection portals also identify overheated bearings, wheel defects, and other problems as trains move across the network.
Adding safeguards during dry conditions
During dry conditions, railroads add safeguards for maintenance activities such as welding, cutting, and grinding. Crews may clear nearby vegetation, wet the work area, use spark shields, keep firefighting equipment nearby, or postpone certain work during periods of extreme fire danger.
Do railroads have fire trains?
In some remote areas, freight railroads might send out specialized fire trains. Think of them as part fire truck, part train. Instead of pulling standard freight cars, a locomotive pulls railcars carrying large tanks of water, pumps, hoses, nozzles, generators, and other equipment crews can use along the right-of-way. Some fire trains also have water cannons that can spray from the train. Ground crews can use hoses to reach hot spots near tracks, bridges, tunnels, signals, and other critical infrastructure.
Fire trains are especially useful where roads are limited or unsafe. A fire truck needs a drivable road and a place to turn around. A fire train can move along the railroad itself, carry far more water than a single truck, and bring that water directly to hard-to-reach places. Crews can wet down wooden ties, bridges, and nearby vegetation. They can also cool hot spots after a fire passes, support local firefighters, and apply thermogel—a water-based coating that helps shield critical structures from heat and flames.
A fire engine generally carries between 500 and 1,000 gallons of water. Some freight rail fire trains can carry up to 30,000 gallons of water.
What do railroads do when a wildfire happens?
When a wildfire starts, railroads shift from prevention to response. The goal is to protect people, keep emergency crews safe, and maintain service where conditions allow.
Coordinating before and during a fire
Railroads work closely with local fire departments, emergency managers, forestry agencies, and other public responders before and during wildfires. They continuously monitor wildfire conditions using information from weather agencies, forestry departments, emergency managers, and fire danger rating systems. They also use their own cameras, drones, satellites, and weather stations.
Spotting hazards in remote areas
Train crews, inspectors, and maintenance employees also help monitor conditions, often reporting smoke, flames, fallen trees, damaged power lines, and other hazards in remote areas.
Scaling up the response as risk rises
As wildfire risk increases, railroads expand their response. They may increase inspections, patrol higher-risk routes, stage firefighting equipment, limit maintenance activities that could create sparks, or position employees near critical infrastructure. Under severe conditions, they may slow or stop trains. They may also hold trains outside higher-risk areas or temporarily close sections of track until conditions improve.
Managing train movements and reroutes
When a wildfire threatens the railroad, dispatchers coordinate train movements across the affected area. They can stop trains, warn employees, notify emergency responders, and keep routes clear for firefighting operations. If necessary, railroads may hold, reroute, or transfer trains to another railroad. They also reposition locomotives and crews to keep freight moving where possible. Rerouting freight is far more complex than taking a different highway because alternate routes require available capacity, qualified crews, compatible equipment, and terminal space.
When do railroads start operating again after a wildfire?
Railroads don’t resume operations simply because the flames are out. Heat can damage track, bridges, signals, communications systems, and the ground beneath the railroad in ways that are not immediately visible.
Inspecting before trains return
Before service resumes, crews inspect the affected area, including track, bridges, crossings, utility systems, and surrounding slopes. Crews must repair or protect any damaged infrastructure before trains return. Service typically resumes in stages. Inspectors and maintenance vehicles go first, followed by trains operating at reduced speeds while employees continue monitoring conditions.
Keeping watch during recovery
Recovery continues long after crews contain the fire. Railroads inspect burned slopes, clear drainage systems, and monitor for rockslides, mudslides, flash flooding, and debris flows. They also keep temporary speed restrictions in place where needed. Across the network, railroads restore operations, reposition crews and equipment, move delayed freight, and deliver the lumber, aggregates, fuel, utility equipment, food, and other materials communities need to rebuild.
Read the AAR Audio Narration
This is AAR Audio, and you’re listening to Do Freight Trains Run During Wildfires?
Imagine you’re a train dispatcher.
A freight train is carrying food, fuel, and other essential supplies across the country.
Hundreds of miles ahead, a wildfire is growing.
Smoke is moving toward the tracks.
Fire crews are responding.
The landscape is changing by the hour.
What happens next?
For a freight railroad, the answer starts long before the first flames appear.
Throughout the year, railroads work to reduce wildfire risks and prepare for the day a fire threatens the network.
One of the most important ways freight railroads mitigate wildfires is by managing vegetation along their rights-of-way.
Crews mow grass.
Trim trees.
Remove brush.
Clear dead vegetation.
And remove debris around track, bridges, signals, and access roads.
That work reduces the fuel available for fires and improves visibility.
It also makes it easier for railroad employees and firefighters to reach affected areas when they’re needed.
Railroads also work to reduce the chance that trains or maintenance activities could create sparks.
Locomotives and railcars are inspected throughout the year, with even greater attention during periods of elevated fire danger.
Employees look for dragging equipment.
Sticking brakes.
Overheated wheels.
Debris near exhaust systems.
And other mechanical issues that could create sparks.
Technology helps too.
Wayside detectors and digital train inspection portals automatically identify overheated bearings, wheel defects, and other mechanical problems as trains move across the network.
Maintenance work changes as conditions become drier.
Activities like welding, cutting, and grinding require additional safeguards.
Crews might clear vegetation around the work area.
Wet the surrounding ground.
Use spark shields.
Keep firefighting equipment nearby.
Or postpone certain work until conditions improve.
Every precaution is designed to reduce the chance that a fire could start.
When wildfires happen, the danger extends far beyond the rails.
Extreme heat can damage bridges.
Signals.
Communications equipment.
Grade crossings.
Utility lines.
And tunnels.
Smoke can reduce visibility for train crews.
It can also make it harder for firefighters and railroad employees to safely inspect damaged infrastructure.
Depending on the conditions, trains might slow down.
They might stop.
They might get rerouted.
Or, they might wait until it’s safe to move again.
Throughout wildfire season, railroads continuously monitor changing conditions.
They use weather forecasts.
Fire danger ratings.
Information from forestry agencies and emergency managers.
Along with cameras.
Drones.
Weather stations.
And satellite imagery.
Employees working across the network also report smoke.
Flames.
Fallen trees.
Damaged power lines.
And other hazards they encounter.
As wildfire risk increases, railroads increase inspections.
They patrol higher-risk routes.
Position employees and equipment where they might be needed.
And they might limit maintenance activities that could create sparks.
In some remote areas, railroads also use specialized fire trains.
Think of them as fire engines that travel on rails.
Instead of freight, they carry large tanks of water.
Pumps.
Hoses.
Generators.
And other firefighting equipment.
Because they travel on the railroad itself, they can reach places where roads might not exist or where fire trucks can’t safely operate.
Some can carry as much as 30,000 gallons of water.
Crews use them to support firefighters.
Cool bridges and railroad ties.
Protect critical infrastructure.
And extinguish hot spots after the main fire has passed.
When a wildfire threatens the railroad, dispatchers coordinate train movements across the affected area.
They can stop trains.
Warn employees.
Notify emergency responders.
And keep routes clear for firefighting operations.
If conditions allow, freight may be rerouted over another part of the rail network.
Sometimes it can even move over another railroad’s tracks.
But rerouting isn’t as simple as taking a different highway.
Alternate routes need available capacity.
Qualified crews.
Compatible equipment.
And room in terminals to handle additional traffic.
Even after the flames are out, trains don’t immediately return.
Heat can damage track.
Bridges.
Signals.
Communications systems.
And even the ground beneath the railroad.
Before service resumes, engineering teams inspect the affected area from end to end.
They examine track.
Bridges.
Crossings.
Utility systems.
And nearby slopes that may have become unstable.
If repairs are needed, they happen before trains return.
Service usually resumes in stages.
Inspectors and maintenance crews go first.
Then trains begin moving at reduced speeds while employees continue monitoring conditions.
Recovery doesn’t end when the fire is contained.
Burned hillsides become more vulnerable to erosion.
Rockslides.
Mudslides.
Flash flooding.
And debris flows.
Railroads continue monitoring those areas while restoring normal operations, repositioning crews and equipment, and moving delayed freight.
They also deliver many of the materials communities need to recover.
Lumber.
Construction materials.
Fuel.
Food.
Utility equipment.
And countless other essential supplies.
Wildfires are one of the many natural hazards freight railroads prepare for every year.
That preparation doesn’t begin when smoke appears on the horizon.
It happens throughout the year through vegetation management, equipment inspections, careful planning, and close coordination with emergency responders.
So when a wildfire does threaten the railroad, they’re ready to respond—and normal operations resume only after crews know the railroad is safe.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Freight trains can operate during wildfires, but safety always comes first. Railroads prepare year-round to reduce wildfire risks, monitor changing conditions, protect critical infrastructure, coordinate with emergency responders, and restore service only after the railroad is safe to operate.