A newly released report is shedding light on the July 27 deadly wildfire in Washington Terrace. According to a report from the Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands obtained by the Standard-Examiner, the fire was determined to have been accidentally caused by sparks generated during railroad maintenance operations utilizing a brush hog-type cutting attachment along the Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way.
The report stated that based upon physical evidence, witness information, and scene examination, the fire was caused by the vegetation-cutting machine. Witnesses reported observing railroad maintenance personnel operating the machine for right-of-way maintenance shortly before smoke was observed. No witnesses reported seeing fireworks, campfires, smoking materials, or other ignition sources, and power lines in the area were not energized.
The fire spread rapidly due to dry fuels and weather conditions, racing up the hillside and threatening several homes north of the initial ignition source. Approximately 72 acres burned during the incident. An interview with a Union Pacific employee revealed that the individual attempted to extinguish the fire when it was between 6 and 8 feet in diameter, but the extinguisher was depleted before the blaze could be controlled.
The fire resulted in the death of 87-year-old Cecil "Ted" Burrell of Washington Terrace. During the initial response, Weber County Sheriff’s Office deputies were evacuating residents when they found Burrell's home and a trailer on fire with thick smoke and ash. Deputies and officers from other agencies located the male with severe burns and transported him to a nearby emergency room, where he died later that day. A Weber County Sheriff’s deputy was also injured while performing life-saving duties during the fire.
