It was too long coming, in the eyes of Matt Nykiel of the Idaho Conservation League in Sandpoint.

Rains that put an end to a hot, dry summer didn’t arrive in these parts until last Monday.

“It’s alarming that a rail company would be that irresponsible to create that sort of fire danger,” Nykiel said. “We’d been lucky until recently to kind of get away without fires in the Panhandle. It would be more than unfortunate to have a fire that could have been prevented, one, if they weren’t transporting oil and coal through in the first place and then, if it does spill, at least cleaning it up quickly and efficiently.”

It’s not known if the burning coal is adding more complications to a cleanup already challenged by limited access to the wreck site.

In his email, Lewis said simply, “A small amount of smoldering material was extinguished and is being removed from the site.”

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The people in Idaho appreciate that the cleanup is finally taking place, Nykiel said. “But it’s sort of cold comfort because our states have long histories of different industries that take risks in local communities to make a buck.”