Construction on part of the High-Speed Rail project came to a halt on Wednesday as crews battled a fire at the Church Avenue overpass in Southeast Fresno.<\/p>\n
“There’s a lot of plywood and lumber that’s involved in this,” Josh Sellers with Fresno Fire said.<\/p>\n
Workers, all unharmed, watched as firefighters attacked from above.<\/p>\n
“We have the railroad tracks here that we ended up having to close down and stop the trains because we have a ladder truck in place that’s blocking the tracks,” Sellers said.<\/p>\n
The fire began shortly before 9 AM, likely due to routine construction, investigators say.<\/p>\n
Aerial video from the High-Speed Rail Authority last year appears to show the impacted structure.<\/p>\n
“This is the shoring framework that the concrete is then poured in place, and that becomes the permanent structure,” Sellers said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The fire is the latest twist in a controversial project. The California High-Speed Rail is more than six years behind and nearly $100 billion over budget.<\/p>\n
“We care about folks in Fresno, Kings, Tulare,” Governor Gavin Newsom said on Tuesday. “We care about folks all across the Central Valley.”<\/p>\n
The comments came at an event in Kern County, where officials opened a new facility to lay down track.<\/p>\n
Eleven years after groundbreaking in Fresno, the project is still not operating.<\/p>\n
“This is not just a transportation project,” Governor Newsom said. “This is about reimagining the future of this region. One of the fastest, most dynamic regions – fastest growing – in the state of California. It’s a point of pride.”<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, the High-Speed Rail Authority issued a statement confirming everyone evacuated safely.<\/p>\n
“Thanks to the work of (the) Fresno Fire Department, the fire has been extinguished,” a spokesperson said. “We will continue to support and coordinate … as needed.”<\/p>\n
The overpass is scheduled to be finished by next month. There is no word on how the fire will impact that timeline.<\/p>\n
For news updates, follow Gabe Ferris on Facebook<\/a>, X<\/a> and Instagram.<\/a><\/p>\n