Firefighters are some of the bravest people on the planet. It takes real guts to run into a burning building when everyone else is running away from it. However, even firefighters sometimes have to yield to logic and realize that there is no hope of stopping a blaze. As long as no lives are in danger, it’s better to just let these untamable fires burn.
That’s exactly what happened back in 2013 on a railroad trestle that spanned across the Lower Colorado River between San Saba and Lometa, Texas. A fire broke out on a wooden rail bridge, but the flames were too dangerous for firefighters to even risk approaching. Instead, they cleared the area and simply watched the bridge burn until it collapsed.
It’s actually pretty majestic…until the moment of the collapse, that is.
(via Bag Of Nothing)
Because the wood was coated in creosote, first responders couldn’t get close enough to extinguish the fire. Creosote is a tar byproduct that’s sometimes used to insulate wood against the elements so it doesn’t rot. While it does a good job of that, the substance is also pretty flammable.
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