Mechanical issue on train starts small fire in canyon

WORLAND (WNE) — Multiple agencies responded to a fire in Wind River Canyon that was sparked by a fire on a Burlington Northern train.

“So what we know for sure is that that Burlington Northern train had a mechanical problem with the locomotive’s engine,” said Fremont County Fire Protection District Chief Ron Wempen. 

A small fire on board the train sparked a small vegetation fire along the track.

Fremont County Fire Protection District was notified of the train fire, and initially Burlington Northern unhooked all the cars but the one on fire and took them to the Brannan boat ramp area in Boysen State Park.

With the train fire pretty well extinguished at that point, the firefighters noticed the vegetation fire. With that fire burning in Hot Springs County and the Wind River Reservation, it was turned over to the Hot Springs County Fire and Bureau of Indian Affairs firefighters. 

The fire is listed at 140 acres and has shown no signs of movement since Sunday night.

This story was published on May 21, 2026.