Rail bridge collapses following early morning fire in west Lincoln; repair timeline unknown

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — The railroad bridge running over Salt Creek collapsed during an early morning fire on Monday.

Lincoln Fire & Rescue responded to the call around 4 a.m. near Sun Valley Boulevard and Line Drive.

MJ Lierman, a spokesperson for LFR, said despite the freezing temperatures, heavy smoke and growing flames, those weren’t the biggest challenges for fire crews.

“The access roads around there are limited-weight access for getting a fire engine into there, which is really difficult,” she said. “We called our brush rig because the grass was on fire, and it was spreading. The structure of the bridge itself is going to burn itself out.”

The fire reignited around 10 a.m., sending more smoke billowing into the sky.

According to LFR, crews will go back and forth to refill as needed and keep a close eye on hot spots.

“There are people there, we’re watching it, we’re doing fire watch,” Lierman said. “We’re doing what we can to get in there, but it will be smoking and burning periodically for a while.”

No injuries were reported.

Lierman said the structure is a total loss, and the cause is undetermined at this time.

According to authorities, the area is well known as an encampment, and because of the overnight freezing temperatures, someone could have started a fire to keep warm.

Several agencies, including the Lincoln Police Department, are working alongside Lincoln Fire & Rescue to interview witnesses and keep the community safe.

“We have the Health Department here and the help of Hazmat crews from Union Pacific to control the water and foam from contaminating the waterway,” Lierman said.

The track is an active rail line used by both Union Pacific and BNSF Railway.

BNSF owns a nearby rail yard, though officials did not immediately indicate whether yard operations were affected.

“An engineering team is on the ground surveying the situation,” Union Pacific said in a statement. “No time frame on when repairs will be done.”

The company added that the incident remains under investigation.

Officials said it is too early to determine how or when the bridge might be replaced.

For years, the bridge has been a familiar part of the local landscape and served as a key rail structure in the area, used periodically for freight traffic.

Now, with sections collapsed and the line closed, its future remains uncertain.