ROY — An investigation into the July 20 Hinckley Fire, which burned 18 acres of undeveloped land in an unincorporated area of Weber County east of 1900 West and north of Hinckley Drive, has concluded it was likely caused by a passing freight train. The report, publicly released Wednesday, states that the fire originated adjacent to the railroad right-of-way and was accidentally ignited by railroad operations, most likely from sparks or hot metallic fragments during the passage of a freight train.
The Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands led the investigation into the blaze. Witnesses reported that a freight train passed just before smoke was observed in the area, according to the report.
Investigators identified three distinct "ignition areas" adjacent to the railroad tracks. These areas showed burn indicators consistent with separate ignitions that originated near the railroad ballast and then spread into surrounding vegetation. The investigation found no evidence of human activity, utility failures, or other accidental ignition sources. The fire ignited simultaneously with the passage of a freight train, the report noted.
The Hinckley Fire sparked around the same time as a separate blaze to the south along the railroad line inside Roy, which destroyed three homes and approximately 30 outbuildings. However, the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands focused its efforts only on the "wildland side of the investigation" for the Hinckley Fire, according to Karl Hunt, the office's spokesman. The investigation did not delve into the potential cause of the fire that occurred within Roy city limits.
North Davis Fire District Chief Mark Becraft, who was involved in initial efforts to fight the blaze, expressed suspicions at the time that sparks from a passing train likely caused both the fire along Hinckley Drive and the simultaneous blaze to the south in Roy. Officials from the Roy Fire Department, the city's lead firefighting agency, did not immediately respond to queries Thursday seeking comment on the Roy portion of the blaze.
Union Pacific, which operates freight trains along the corridor, stated it is reviewing the report. The company said in a statement that it is "fully cooperating with the state fire officials during their investigation" and that its "No. 1 priority is the safety of our employees and our railroad communities."
Utah Transit Authority (UTA) FrontRunner trains also use the same corridor. In the immediate aftermath of the blaze, UTA examined the train initially identified as potentially involved and reported finding no abnormalities or mechanical issues.
This incident follows another separate investigation by the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands into a July 27 blaze along a Union Pacific railroad line south of Washington Terrace, also in Weber County. That investigation found the fire originated along the rail corridor, where maintenance crews had recently used brush-cutting equipment. Ted Burrell, a resident whose home was damaged in the Washington Terrace fire, sustained injuries in the July 27 blaze and later died.
