I am a Mineral Creek neighbor of the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad (MRSR) and logging museum. I am a forester with years of experience walking and working in the woods along the railroad right-of-way between Eatonville and Morton.
I am not satisfied with the investigative "assistance" MRSR has received to date following the Tilton 28-span trestle fire.
In my opinion, the evidence of a cut walking trail from state Route 7 to the railroad tracks says someone wanted to get to the trestle without going in the normal logging road at Tauscher property.
Trestles do not spontaneously ignite (we are lucky the arson was not in August). There appears to be more than one ignition point.
While the "human-caused" fire was investigated briefly by the Lewis County Sheriff's Office and the Washington state Department of Natural Resources, why was the State Fire Marshal's Office not called in?
Now that we can see how the arsonist got to the trestle, do the Washington State Patrol, sheriff's office, local commuters and log truck drivers remember seeing a vehicle parked along state Route 7 for more than one day on April 30 and prior?
We need to give MRSR investigative assistance. The arsonist who lit this fire can light other fires in our community until caught.
Richard Hopkins
Lewis County
