Lawsuit: Railroad Should Pay For Damage After 416 Fire
DURANGO, Colo. (CBS4) - The 416 Fire may have missed Kristi Householder's home, but the mudslides caused by rain on July 14 didn't.
"Boulders coming down across the road and across the ditch and into my property. Hit the garage door, bent in the garage door, it failed. Filled my garage entirely with 18 inches of mud," she told CBS4's Dominic Garcia.
Kristi had to hire excavators to clear everything out. Then, 10 days later it happened again.
"Flooded my kitchen, my hallway. The, you know, under all the cabinets. Under every appliance," she said.
Kristi is one of several residents and businesses who have filed a lawsuit against the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. It claims that the railroad sparked what would become the 416 Fire in June, and that the company should have known about drought conditions.
Kristi says the mudslides are because of the fire.
"Of course every time it rains, you're on pins and needles waiting for the next mud debris," she said.
Kristi says they support the train, and it's an important part of the area's history, but they need to be compensated for the damage.
For Kristi, she's already spent $100,000 on the cleanup and damage.
"We want to make sure the train continues to run and continues to thrive in our community. But there's no question in my mind that the train started the fire that day."
CBS4 reached out to the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, but were told they can't comment on pending litigation.
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Dominic Garcia anchors CBS4 News at 5 p.m. and reports for CBS4 News at 10 p.m. Connect with the Denver native on Twitter @cbs4dom & on Facebook.
