The Fire Train Stands By. Sitting beneath the smoke filled sky as the Thomas Fire goes on its ninth day of burning in Southern California, UP 546 and two original SP fire train water cars sit poised and ready in Summerland should they get the call. Traveling roughly 100 miles from Guadalupe to Summerland on the morning of December 7, the fire train has remained close by since its call to come down as the Thomas Fire continues to grow in acres and size now threatening Carpinteria, Summerland and even Santa Barbara. Water cars SPMW 6503 and SPMW 5486, showing their age through the rust and discoloration they've developed while sitting in Guadalupe over the years, haven't been used in more two years when they were last staged in San Luis Obispo for possible use during the Cuesta Fire in August of 2015.
