‘Our future went up in smoke’: Fire destroys Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad bridge
Employees at Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad are reeling after a fire destroyed one of the railroad’s biggest bridges late Wednesday night.
According to a Thursday morning Facebook post, reports of a fire on the 28-span bridge between Mineral and Morton began at about 6:40 p.m.
“Last night, our future went up in smoke,” the post said. “... It took over an hour for fire crews to reach it. By the time we got the news and arrived on scene, at 8:45, the air was thick with burning creosote. The damage was done.”
The bridge was structurally sound and had been rebuilt 20 years ago, the post said.
“Let’s be clear: bridges do not spontaneously combust. Someone did this,” the post said. “Whether through recklessness or malice, someone set in motion the destruction of decades of infrastructure and millions in future regional impact.”
The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook Thursday afternoon, asking the public to help them identify a potential suspect in the case with a picture attached. A few hours later, the railroad said the sheriff’s office had made a mistake and had accidentally shared a picture of one of their volunteers instead.
“The individual pictured is Adam, a local Eatonville High School student who has been volunteering with us for the past six months,” the railroad posted. “He was out last night clearing track as part of an organized crew supporting our railroad restoration efforts. Adam is kind, thoughtful, mature, and an absolute asset to our community. He is not a person of interest.”
Regular excursions are still up and running, the company clarified in an update on Facebook. The fire happened on a piece of track that was going to be restored.
Bethan Maher, the executive director for the organization, told The News Tribune the company is still trying to figure out how to move forward.
“We know that the bridge is going to be a total loss and collapse is imminent,” Maher said. “We know that the cost to rebuild will be significant — in the millions if not tens of millions of dollars.”
Employees started a GoFundMe to raise donations. As of Thursday at 4:30 p.m., the GoFundMe had raised $20,450 of its $45,000 goal — or 45%.
“Our staff and our volunteers have given a huge amount of time and effort to rebuilding this railroad and preserving our little piece of history,” Maher said. “So, you know, public support is everything and we won’t be able to rebuild without it.”
Anyone with information about the bridge fire can contact Detective Darrell Tevis with the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office at 360-748-9286 or investigations@lewiscountywa.gov.
This story was originally published May 1, 2025 at 4:45 PM.
