Union Pacific bridge collapses after early-morning fire; structure declared total loss

Lincoln Fire & Rescue responded at 3:45 a.m. Monday to a fire that left a nearly century-old Union Pacific railroad bridge over Salt Creek collapsed and the structure "a total loss," authorities said.

Firefighters arrived to find the heavy-timber bridge over Salt Creek by Westgate and Sun Valley boulevards near Pinnacle Bank Arena fully involved in flames, according to local coverage. The blaze spread to nearby grass as crews worked to contain it, and part of the bridge gave way because of the intensity of the fire. Lincoln Fire and Rescue Public Information Officer MJ Lierman said, "The structure of the bridge itself is pretty much going to be burning itself out. It is a total loss."

Coverage by 1011now/KOLN includes a quoted statement that reads, "At about 4 a.m. CST today, a railroad bridge in Lincoln, Nebraska was observed on fire. The Lincoln Fire Department responded. The blaze has been contained, and the incident is under investigation." The origin of that quoted line is printed in KOLN's coverage but is not identified in the excerpted text.

Fire crews faced access problems due to the bridge's location and limited weight capabilities of response vehicles, and a brush rig was requested to fight the grass fire moving around the structure. Lincoln Fire and Rescue said it had been in communication with Union Pacific Railroad and BNSF, and KHGI reported the department as saying, "We’ve been in communication with Union Pacific Railroad and also BNSF this morning, so that was a line that was used periodically, so it will be shut down for the time being."

Union Pacific has dispatched an engineering team to survey the situation, 1011now/KOLN reported. ABC News noted the bridge is primarily used for freight trains. Local reports describe the track as an active rail line, though KHGI characterized it as a line used periodically and said it would be closed while authorities assess the damage.

Lincoln Parks and Recreation closed the paved portion of the Salt Creek Levee Trail that passes under the two railroad bridges west and southwest of the Breslow Hockey Center because of bridge damage. Parks officials instructed trail users to use the limestone trail immediately east of the paved route to avoid the underpasses and warned pedestrians and cyclists to watch for emergency and repair vehicles in the area. Closure signage has been posted.

No cause for the blaze has been reported and officials said the incident is under investigation. Local coverage did not report any injuries or fatalities. Officials have not released a timetable for reopening the rail line or the trail, and no cost estimates for the damage have been provided.

The collapse raises immediate public-safety and access concerns for trail users and nearby residents, and it leaves a freight line out of service while rail and city authorities evaluate the span. Authorities asked anyone with information about the fire or who may have recorded video of the incident to contact Lincoln Fire and Rescue as investigators continue their work.