Latest news with #FortWorthFireDepartment
CBS News
4 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Longer freight trains are more than just a nuisance. They're increasingly costing Texans their time and safety
Five years ago, the average Union Pacific freight train was 8,000-feet long. Today, it's more than 9,000 — with many extending as long as 15,000-feet. Nicknamed 'monster trains,' these freight haulers can carry in a single trip what would take two or three shorter trains to move—saving railroad companies millions of dollars. Union Pacific told the CBS News Texas I-Team the addition of rail cars to an already scheduled train is both safe and good for the environment. But longer trains also mean longer waits at crossings. And when a monster train stops, it often becomes more than an inconvenience. Monster trains in texas The CBS News Texas I-Team found nowhere is the problem bigger than in Texas. Data from the Federal Railroad Administration shows more than 7,000 reports of trains blocking crossings across Texas in the past year — that's more than three times as many as any other state. Many of the most problematic crossings are in Tarrant and Denton Counties. When Fort Worth firefighters get a call from an address near train tracks, dispatch sends two trucks — one from each direction. If the route includes the train crossing on Avondale-Haslet Road in the far northwest corner of the city, the most frequently reported blocked crossing in North Texas, trucks roll from both the Fort Worth and Haslet fire stations. "That way we know that we're coming from two different directions," said Fort Worth Fire Department spokesperson Craig Trojacek. "So, a stopped train is not going to stop our response time." The Federal Railroad Administration said it's focused on the safety of all train lengths, but that there is "no empirical evidence that clearly implicates train length in a reduction of safety." A 2024 study of the relationship between train length and derailment risk determined longer trains do have a greater risk of derailment. Trapped in Jeff Kennedy, resident of the Vista Ranch neighborhood in north Fort Worth, calls his subdivision a lollipop neighborhood: "Only one way in and out." To get out of Vista Ranch, residents have to cross the tracks on Tinsley Lane. If a train blocks the crossing, there's no other way in or out. In May, the I-Team witnessed the problem up close when a train lost power and blocked the crossing for more than four hours. "It's a danger, unnecessarily," said Kennedy. Tarrant County construction crews began work last month on a new road that will give neighbors in Vista Ranch another way out without having to cross the train tracks. "That will be good, but it's going to take a while," said Kennedy. "Four to six months. Hopefully, in the meantime, we won't have another train stoppage." Bad for business Chad Beavers, owner of Cold Springs Processing, knows firsthand that blocked train crossings can be more than just a minor inconvenience — they can be bad for business. The grease disposal facility just north of downtown Fort Worth sits between two sets of train tracks, and at times trains block both at once. In fact, Beavers said it happens anywhere from three to eight times a day. "My main goal with our customers is we get you in and we get you out," said Beavers. "And when that doesn't happen, that hurts our bottom line." The I-Team witnessed workers from the factory across the street walking between train cars so they wouldn't be late for work. It's illegal to cut through a train, but workers said it happens all the time. "It's dangerous, but you need a job," said Carson Brown, a forklift operator. "You don't want to lose a job because of a train." Costly Solutions Texas lawmakers filed a House bill during the most recent legislative session to cap the length of a train at 8,500 feet. The bill was never voted on by lawmakers. But even if it had passed, the state can't enforce it. Train length is regulated by the federal government, and there are no federal limits. Building roads around, or bridges over, train tracks is a costly solution. In January, the federal government gave Texas $80 million in rail safety grants. That covered just six projects. This year, Texas also set aside an additional $250 million in a grant program to fund railroad grade separation projects. Despite the investments, with 9,000 train crossing statewide, the funding will not address all the problematic crossings.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
3-alarm fire destroys Fort Worth mansion and injures firefighter, officials say
A large mansion-style home caught fire Wednesday morning after a possible lightning strike, according to the Fort Worth Fire Department. Crews responded to the home in the 6900 block of Sanctuary Heights Road at about 8 a.m., officials with the fire department said. The fire was being fed by broken gas lines inside the house, and a partial roof collapse sent firefighters out of the home, officials said. Because of the home's size, fire crews called a second alarm. Fire crews sounded a third alarm after a firefighter fell through an elevator shaft and called mayday, officials said. Other firefighters located him and brought him outside the home. Ninety firefighters worked for two hours to fully contain the fire, officials said. One firefighter was injured. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
USA Today
14-04-2025
- Climate
- USA Today
Video shows massive fire at Fort Worth recycling facility; smoke visible for miles
Video shows massive fire at Fort Worth recycling facility; smoke visible for miles Show Caption Hide Caption Fort Worth, Texas, recycling facility fire could burn for days The blaze broke out on a 'mountain of dirt and tires' at a Forth Worth, Texas, recycling facility. A fire erupted at a recycling facility in Fort Worth, Texas, with dark plumes of smoke visible from miles away. Video captured of Sunday's fire shows a large area of land ablaze and dark clouds of smoke rising as firefighters try to douse the flames. Reports of large brush fire came in on Sunday afternoon at the Silver Creek Materials site located in the far west side of town, the Fort Worth Fire Department said in a Facebook post on Monday. When crews arrived, they found a "large pile of mulch, pallets and discarded materials from residents" on fire. Silver Creek Materials says on its website that it is a recycling, mining, composting and organic products business. The company did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for a comment on Monday. The fire department said that strong winds fueled the fire, which advanced toward an "extremely large pile of tires and other combustibles." "This sent a very large, dark plume of smoke into the air that could be seen for miles," the department said. Cause of fire not known The fire's proximity to a main road also posed a major challenge for crews to bring enough water to combat the blaze. "While there was water already on the property, firefighters needed a larger volume to ensure they had impact on the fire," the department said. The department said the operation extended into the next day and concluded just after 6 a.m. Monday. While no structures were damaged in the fire, firefighters sustained minor injuries. The cause for the fire is not yet known. Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@ and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Fort Worth firefighter injured, apartments destroyed in fire early Saturday
Fourteen people were displaced and six to eight apartment units were destroyed in a fire early Saturday, officials with the Fort Worth Fire Department said. Fire crews were dispatched to the apartment complex in the 2800 block of Las Vegas Trail at around 2:30 a.m., according to a post on the fire department's Facebook. Heavy fire was coming from the first and second floors of the apartment complex and a working fire was declared, officials said. At the same time crews were battling the blaze, overnight storms intensified, bringing heavy rains and wind along with lightning, officials said. The weather conditions led the incident commander to call a second alarm on the fire, according to the post. 🚨 More top stories from our newsroom: → Family faces legal fight over services for daughter with Down syndrome → Blue Cross Blue Shield drops coverage at North Texas hospitals → Woman attacked, killed outside Arlington apartment [Get our breaking news alerts.] During fire suppression operations, an overhanging roof fell on top of a Fort Worth firefighter, who was quickly pulled from the wreckage and taken by ambulance to a hospital, according to the firefighter was discharged from the hospital later Saturday, officials said. A resident of the complex was also injured, but was treated on the scene by paramedics. The American Red Cross responded to the scene to provide aid to the displaced residents, officials said.
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Yahoo
Pedestrian fatally struck by train in south Fort Worth, officials say
A pedestrian was fatally struck by a train Saturday, March 29, in south Fort Worth, officials said. First responders were called to the area of Whispering Brook Lane and Crescent Creek Lane around 11:15 a.m. The man had been walking on the edge of the tracks near a rise, according to Fort Worth Fire Department spokesperson Kyle Clay. The engineer tried to slow the train down and sounded the horn in warning, but the man didn't react, Clay said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner will identify the pedestrian. Police said they will investigate the incident. 🚨 More top stories from our newsroom: → FWISD to redirect $22.7M toward reading, which means job cuts → Lawyer accused of making death threats against commissioner → Popular sushi restaurant to open in Fort Worth near zoo [Get our breaking news alerts.]
