Small Fire Extinguished After Igniting on Freight Train in Irwindale

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

---

IRWINDALE - Firefighters made quick work of a small blaze that ignited inside of a gondola car on a freight train rolling through Irwindale Wednesday morning.

Firefighters had easy access to knock out the flames after the train paused near 15546 East Arrow Highway around 1:08 a.m. December 23.

The fire was contained to one gondola and burned only cardboard content, according to the Irwindale Police Department.

No injuries were reported.

The gondolas appeared to be carrying large rolls of wire from one of the businesses to the east of Santa Fe Dam Recreational Area.

The affected railroad line is a spur line operated by Union Pacific Railroad. Trains originate out of the Union Pacific rail yard based in Industry and follow the Metrolink passenger line up into West Covina where the spur line branches off near Azusa Canyon Road south of Arrow Highway.

The spur line, dubbed the Azusa Branch, was once part of the Pacific Electric Railway and was extended after a previous “Red Car” line from Los Angeles to Glendora ceased operations in the early 1950s.

The Azusa branch services one or more businesses east of Santa Fe Dam and also services a business up in the northern end of Azusa.