Site of fire beside railway track - Date/Photographer unknown.

22 August 2012

No Sign Our Train Caused Regina Fire CP Rail Says

Regina Saskatchewan - Canadian Pacific Railway says it has no evidence one of its trains that went through Regina Tuesday was connected to a big fire.
 
At around 6 p.m., several grass fires near the train tracks were spotted. The flames spread to Bob's Discount Pallets, resulting in a major blaze that destroyed an estimated 20,000 pallets.
 
The owner of the 701 Winnipeg Street North business, Robert Inch, said damages could be at least $100,000. He said he would be talking to his insurance company.
 
But CP spokesman Kevin Hrysak said the train came through the area more than an hour before the fire was burning.
 
The railway later conducted a mechanical inspection of the train but couldn't find anything that might have been a factor, he said.
 
The company is co-operating with investigators. It's too early to speculate on a cause, Hrysak said.
 
"Just because it is near a railway, sometimes it's easy to assume the rail line caused it," he said.
 
However, a witness whose car was stopped waiting for the train to cross told CBC News he suspects the train was involved.
 
"We had to wait for the train to go by and normally when they brake, they leave a bit of brake oil," said David Haley. "I figured, you know, it's not that big of a deal, but then the smoke started happening, the fire started happening."
 
Regardless of the cause, the fire was bad news for people like James Desnomie, who has worked at Bob's Discount Pallets for 10 years.
 
The loss is "depressing and sad," Desmonie said.
 
Author unknown.