Photo courtesy of Adel Fire Chief Braden Nemechek

Multiple first responders and fire departments went to contain a fire that erupted on the east side of the Raccoon River Valley Trail in Adel Monday morning.

According to Adel Fire Chief Braden Nemechek, the department received an alert about a massive fire on the east bridge of the trail a little after 2am. He says at this time, there is no cause for the fire as it is an active investigation. Nemechek confirms that fire departments on scene were able to distinguish the fire in approximately two hours. He notes there were many fire departments in Dallas County that assisted including Dallas Center, Minburn, Redfield, DeSoto, and Van Meter as well as the Adel Police Department and the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office. 

Sheriff Adam Infante adds that due to the bridge’s location and access challenges, portions of Highway 6 were temporarily closed and the difficult terrain and limited firefighting access impacted the response. He emphasizes that the bridge sustained significant damage and is currently unsafe for use. Infante details that this section of the trail was already closed for scheduled maintenance and improvements. 

Raccoon Valley Radio will continue to bring you more information as it becomes official.