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OEHHA Emergency Response

Public Health Impacts from the Sacramento Trestle Fire
An Analysis of Air Quality Data by the California Environmental Protection Agency Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) - a report by OEHHA and ARB

At 6:00 pm Thursday March 15, 2007, a wooden train trestle caught fire northeast of downtown Sacramento, California. The fire spread quickly, and by 6:30 pm approximately 1300 feet of the trestle were engulfed in flame. The trestle, largely constructed of creosote-treated wood ties and structural beams, continued to burn uncontained for 48 hours.

Smoke from the fire was most intense during the first two days of the event. Initially, a large column of black smoke rose directly from the site in a vertical plume, flattening out at 1400-2000 feet elevation. Predominant weather conditions throughout most of the fire allowed the thick black smoke to disperse high in the atmosphere, reducing exposures in the Sacramento area. Late Friday night and into Saturday morning, however, portions of Sacramento, Yolo, and Sutter counties were impacted with smoke as the weather and wind conditions changed. Particulate matter concentrations rose dramatically at one air monitoring location to levels considered unhealthy for sensitive groups. Fortunately, the worst air quality readings measured at this site lasted only a matter of hours before clearing. Particulate matter concentrations may have been higher for longer periods of time in areas that were not monitored for air quality during the fire.

OEHHA assisted the California Air Resources Board (ARB) in identifying the major potential health impacts during the fire.

Follow this link to download the report Public Health Impacts from the Sacramento Trestle Fire An Analysis of Air Quality Data by the California Environmental Protection Agency Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA)

Follow this link to hear Sam Delson's interview on Capital Public Radio.