Water Train Hoses Down Woodland as Dixie Fire Burns in Northern California

A train of water tanker cars hosed down land next to railroad tracks in Plumas National Forest in California as firefighters battled the Dixie Fire on August 1.

This video shows crews riding the train while watering vegetation in an effort to contain the fire.

According to TV station KRCR, the Union Pacific Railroad operates the tank cars mostly “to protect their own assets.” The cars can hold anywhere from 7,000 to 23,000 gallons of water each, according to the report; there were six water tanks deployed along railroad lines in Plumas County.

The massive Dixie Fire in Northern California, the largest single-source wildfire in the state’s history, grew to 569,707 acres (890 square miles) by August 16 with containment at 31 percent, according to the latest update from Cal Fire. Credit: Spencer Haskins via Storyful