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Columbia-Walla Walla Railroad Rebuilding the Weston Line After the Fire |
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On 15 July 2026 the Lower Dry Creek Fire broke out in the hills south of Milton-Freewater, Oregon. The fire spread quickly in the extremely dry, hot, and windy conditions. By
the time firefighters contained the blaze on 18 July it had burned 8,096 acres of land. The Columbia Walla Walla Railroad got hit hard by the fire, as it completely burned two trestles on the
line between Milton-Freewater and Weston along with several miles of ties. The railroad started repairs by mid-September and had the line to Weston effectively repaired and reopened by the first
days of October. |
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The largest loss the railroad suffered was this wood trestle, seen here only a matter of days before the fire burned the structure. CWW Line Railfan photo. 
Suspended rails and charred timbers are all that remain of the trestle after the fire. Oregon Department of Forestry photo. 
The fill the railroad built to replace the burned trestle on 17 October 2026. Ted Curphey photo. |
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CWW replaced the smaller of the two burned trestles with this steel structure. Ted Curphey photo. |
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CWW also replaced a culvert on the line as part of the work. Ted Curphey photo. |
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The tie gang at work replacing burned ties. Ted Curphey photo. |
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A section of the line near Dayton. Ted Curphey photo. |
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