By Aedan Hannon, The Durango Herald The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and its parent company, American Heritage Railways, will pay $20 million to settle a federal lawsuit stemming from the 416 fire. Separately, lawyers for 40 La Plata and San Juan county businesses and landowners that sued the tourist railway to recoup losses […]
416 Fire
Posted inBusiness, Crime and Courts, News, Outdoors
Judge: Federal government’s lawsuit against Durango railroad over 2018 wildfire should proceed
By Jonathan Romeo, The Durango Herald DURANGO — In what could be a major blow to the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, a federal judge has recommended that a district court throw out the train’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit in which the U.S. government is seeking $25 million for fighting the 416 Fire. […]
Posted inBusiness, Environment, News, Wildfire
“Maybe it was bad luck,” tourist train owner says of massive fire near Durango that led to $25 million lawsuit
The federal government wants the owner of a tourist train in Durango to pay $25 million for causing a wildfire that scorched 53,000 acres of Forest Service land last summer. A lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court on Tuesday by the U.S. Attorney’s Office says burning cinders from the exhaust stack of a coal-fired steam […]
Posted inBusiness, Coloradans, Culture, Environment, News, Outdoors
Southern Colorado is learning a tough lesson: Too much snow is a headache for the summer economy
SILVERTON — The exceptionally snowy winter has created dangerous backcountry conditions that persist as southwest Colorado heads into its busy summer season. Remote mountain towns, including Silverton, are grappling to find a balance between supporting a booming summer economy, built on people exploring the high country on foot, bikes and off-road vehicles, and keeping all […]
Posted inColoradans, Environment, News
“Flood buddies” and sandbags: Southern Colorado readies for rain after last summer’s massive fire
Southern Colorado residents who watched the Spring Creek Fire sweep across the Sangre de Cristo Mountains last summer now look worriedly at the more than 108,000 acres of charred land. This year, they vigilantly watch for rain clouds. Even a quarter inch of rain pouring onto those devastated slopes could bring a new disaster to […]