A historic railroad bridge near the town of Beverly was destroyed by a small brush fire Monday evening.
The fire burned about 10 acres of sage brush but destroyed the small railroad bridge that is part of the Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail, according to the sheriff’s office. The bridge crosses over Crab Creek near Beverly. The bridge deck of the nearby Milwaukee Road trestle, which crosses the Columbia River, was damaged in a wildfire in 2014 and is currently undergoing renovation to reopen.
“The Columbia Basin is rich with history, and to lose a portion of that history takes away the opportunities for its enjoyment by future generations,” said Royal Slope Fire Chief Eric Linn. “We hope this lost structure is replaced as part of the current state parks restoration project.”