On Monday afternoon around 3:45 p.m., emergency personnel were notified of a fire on a railroad bridge truss over the Potomac between Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, and Sandy Hook, Maryland. It was initially unclear what caused the fire.

Train service between DC and Chicago has been canceled, but it is not yet known how long the disruptions will affect CSX freight lines, Amtrak passenger lines and Marc suburban trains.

In a statement, CSX thanked firefighters for their quick response and said, “Both passenger and freight traffic on the bridge will be suspended until it can be inspected by our crews. CSX crews will work safely and expeditiously to make repairs to the affected stretch.”

People dining in the surrounding restaurants had a great view.

“You could see the embers burning and things falling into the river,” said Paul Leroy, a Maryland resident.

While they enjoyed the breathtaking scenery, the acrid fumes almost took their breath away.

“Black and smelled of creosote,” said Leroy.

A section of the Appalachian Trail runs parallel to the railroad tracks, but enthusiastic hikers did not let the fires stop them from hiking.

“People walked across this bridge, not that bridge, but across the next bridge, right through the smoke,” Leroy said.

At least for some tourists, this may result in an unexpectedly longer stay.

“I just talked to a lot of Amish people here who wanted to return to Indiana by train and can’t,” Leroy said.

News4 sends breaking news alerts via email. Sign up here to receive breaking news alerts in your inbox.