25 Never Seen Photos Of Infamous Dumbarton Rail Bridge Fire

MENLO PARK, CA -- New photos were released this week of a fire that burned the Dumbarton Rail Bridge nearly 20 years ago. The bridge, which was the first to cross the San Francisco Bay, was built in 1910.

The fire erupted on western portion of the bridge on the night of Jan. 2, 1998. It wasn't extinguished until noon the next day.

In a press release dated Jan. 21, 1998, fire officials wrote:

"An early evening fire destroyed the western wooden portion of the Dumbarton Rail Bridge in January. Nearly one-third mile of the bridge burned, dropping the rails into San Francisco Bay. The rail trestle, which connects Menlo Park and Newark, was the first bridge to span the bay, opening in 1910. Adverse weather, high winds and a low tide hampered firefighters' efforts to battle the fire. Firefighters also were challenged by the remote location of the fire, which required nearly one mile of hose."

Twenty years later, Fire Chief Harold Schapelhouman said “we deemed the fire suspicious due to lack of evidence of actual arson and over the years I’ve heard a variety of conspiracy theories but it certainly was one of the odder and frustrating fires I’ve been confronted with in my career and the only simultaneous land and sea fire I’ve ever faced, especially as such a historical landmark. There was obviously only so much we could do."

The Menlo Park Fire Protection District released new photos of the fire this week. Schapelhouman, who was a battalion chief in 1998, said the photos were initially held because of the investigation

--Photos courtesy of Menlo Park Fire Protection District