A pair of aggressive wildfires burning near the Clay-Putnam County line has brought Amtrak service to a standstill in Florida, leaving hundreds of passengers trapped on trains for nearly a day. The disruption, which began over the weekend, has forced major cancellations and prompted the railroad company to issue full refunds as crews struggle to contain the growing blaze.
The chaos centers on two separate fires: the Crews Fire in Clay County and the Railroad Complex Fire in Putnam County. According to the Florida Forest Service, the two fires merged on Tuesday into a single 4,000-acre inferno that was only 50% contained.
The proximity of the flames to the tracks forced Amtrak to halt its Silver Meteor, Auto Train, and Floridian routes in coordination with its host railroad, CSX.
For those on the Silver Meteor 98, which departed Miami on Sunday morning, the journey turned into a grueling ordeal. The train was forced to stop near Jacksonville, leaving 232 passengers stuck on board for approximately 24 hours.
“With the current wind gusts and the extreme drought we’re seeing all over the state, these fires are jumping firebreaks like they aren’t even there,” said Tampa Free Press Publisher Brian Burns, a former firefighter. “When a fire moves this fast through dry brush, it creates its own weather system. It’s not just the flames; the thick smoke makes visibility zero for engineers, and the heat can actually warp the rails if it stays stationary for too long.”
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Georgia Ball, a passenger on the train, described a deteriorating situation as the hours ticked by. “People were starting to get really antsy,” Ball told WESH 2 News. “There was stopped up bathrooms and no one was able to go to the bathroom anymore. Long periods when the cafe was closed, and then people started having some medical issues.”
Other passengers described a sense of desperation as supplies dwindled. Jordan Harrington told WRAL News that the travelers were essentially “trauma bonding” through the distress.
“There’s people in here that got kids; I know there’s a lady who said she’s running out of formula, like she’s got one Pampers left,” Harrington said. “We’re hungry and we’re tired, the seats are not comfortable at all.”
Amtrak eventually made the decision to turn Train 98 around. By Monday evening, the train was heading back to Miami after a stop in DeLand.
In a statement, Amtrak confirmed that passengers were provided with snack packs, beverages, and pizza once the train reached Orlando. To compensate for the “distress,” the company is offering all affected customers full refunds along with travel vouchers.
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The service interruptions are expected to continue as weather conditions worsen. On Tuesday, the National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning for central and southwest Florida, citing high winds and low humidity that could further fuel the fires.
Silver Meteor Train 97, scheduled for Tuesday, was canceled, and limited bus bridges have been established between Miami and Jacksonville to move stranded travelers. Amtrak continues to monitor the situation closely with CSX as fire crews work to secure the corridor.
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