Fire Before The Fall
Arson fire destroys CR 418 bridge
By SHANNON CRABTREE newsdesk@leader-news.com

Despite repeated efforts, Danevang and El Campo volunteer firefighters were unable to save the CR 418 bridge crossing the Tres Palacios this week. The fire has been ruled an arson by the Texas State Fire Marshal's office. Now West Wharton County Crime Stoppers are offering a cash reward for information leading to the arrest of whoever is responsible for the fire which started Tuesday night. The roadway will remain impassable for months as the $200,000 bridge is replaced. L-N Photo by Shannon Crabtree

An unstoppable fire completely destroyed the CR 418 bridge over the Tres Palacios this week - a blaze investigators say was deliberately set.

"It was incendiary meaning it was set on fire," State Fire Marshal Chris Janssen said Thursday, adding the case remains under investigation.

Anyone who may have seen anything suspicious Tuesday night is urged to contact the West Wharton County Crime Stoppers at 543-TIPS. Callers do not have to give their names.

The roadway is currently impassable at the river and closed by Precinct 4 crews.

L-N Photo by Shannon Crabtree Fire Down Below Danevang fire volunteers struggled with steep creek beds and darkness when the first alarms sounded for a fire on the CR 418 bridge over the Tres Palacios Tuesday night. The fire, which was deliberately set, destroyed the bridge despite firefighter efforts to save it. Firefighters were called to the scene four different times Tuesday through Thursday.

The State Fire Marshal's office is investigating the blaze first reported shortly after 10 p.m. Tuesday night.

Evidence has been collected, Wharton County Sheriff's Department Investigating Sgt. Matt Machart said.

Danevang Volunteer Fire Chief Ben Rivera was first to arrive on the CR 418 scene about two miles southeast of Hwy. 71 and just west of the intersection with CR 411 Tuesday night.

"It was fully involved. There were flames everywhere, rolling over the top of the bridge," Rivera said.

The 12-man Danevang department beat down the flames before calling the El Campo Volunteer Fire Department requesting a tanker and manpower relief.

The creosote post bridge burned hot with a thick brownish smoke. Despite thousands of gallons of water, hot spots remained.

Firefighters doused all visible flames by about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, but Danevang volunteers had to return later that morning.

Wednesday evening a twoman team from the State Fire Marshal's office came to investigate bringing an accelerant sniffing dog. Instead of charred, damp timbers, they found another rolling blaze.

"We came to take a look and saw it (burning)," Fire Marshal Chris Janssen said. "Then we looked and saw that the smoke was toxic, so we moved back."

Danevang and El Campo volunteers again teamed up to battle the bridge fire - positioning themselves on both sides of the now completely impassable bridge.

Timbers were doused with foam and once again, firefighters thought they had it out.

But Danevang volunteers would be called back a fourth time before the bridge finally all but consumed itself.

"We tore the bridge out of there today (Thursday) after the fire marshal looked at it," Precinct 4 Commissioner Jimmy Kainer said.

"The Danevang and El Campo fire departments, they did a good job. There was a lot of heat under the bridge."

Built in 1960, the almost 90-foot span bridge had been repaired about nine years ago, Kainer said, and was in good shape.

The estimated replacement cost is $200,000, he added.

"I don't know what commissioners court going to say about it. I'm going to ask that it be an emergency (and pull funding from contingency accounts)," Kainer said. "People are just going to have to bear with us for a while."

Farmers in the area have already been calling asking when the road with be passable again.

If emergency funding is approved, Kainer said, the replacement project could be started in as little as 90 days.

The county doesn't know if any of the damage will be covered by insurance, he said, but added the state indicated a county replacement of this bridge could count as in-kind services for other state work.

Although not a highly traveled road, CR 418 is used as a link between FM 1162 and Hwy. 71.

The last major bridge fire in Wharton County was Feb. 14, 1998 when vandals torched a creosote timber bridge on CR 366 over Mustang Creek.

That 89-foot span bridge had been built in 1987.

At the time, Precinct 3 Commissioner Philip Miller estimated it would cost $150,000 to replace.

No one was caught.