Days after brush fire, Palm Springs Aerial Tramway reopens
The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway was officially back open this morning, two days after a 20-acre brush fire forced evacuations and left the attraction without power.
Thousands of people were left in hour-long lines, but repairs are not over yet.
“They told us it was closed so that’s why we are here today,” said Tram rider Gabriele Brown.
Brown is a visitor from out of the country who came to visit the Tram during the holiday season. She was turned away on Thanksgiving and returned today.
“I’m trying to get some scenery — they told me about it it’s like amazing,” Brown said.
Wednesday fire in the canyons burned down an electricity pole, knocking down the Tram’s communication lines. The Tram was shut down all Thanksgiving Day for repairs.
“Our phones are still out unfortunately so if you’re trying to reach us we’re very sorry, we’re working so hard to get those back up and running,” said Cara Youngman, public relations manager at the Tram.
“Well I didn’t realize it just happened a few days ago it’s pretty scary I mean when we drove up and we saw some burned down tree stumps so plus it what I just heard about the fires in Kent in Paradise so it’s kind of scary,” Brown said.
Thanksgiving just happens to be one of the busiest days of the year at the Tram.
“Nobody likes to be closed on the holidays when it is a busy day but of course for us its worth it as long as our guests are okay,” Youngman said.
The fire is pretty well under control, however, crews were still working today to extinguish hotspots.
“They did a great job it looks like controlling the fire down there – we saw the hoses all the hoses out and everything,” said Claire Scorah, who came to visit the Tram today.
Everyone, from Tram staff to visitors praising the firefighters who prevented disaster.
“We didn’t want it to spread and go over the ridge but you know with Calfire, PSFD, all the agencies that responded did a phenomenal job of getting that contained and under control,” Youngman said.
“I think it’s amazing what these guys do they’re putting their life on the line every time something like that happens so they’re quite the heroes right,” Brown said.
No injuries were reported during the brushfire, the cause still under investigation. The Tram is running all weekend while repairs continue. You can expect lines of up to an hour there due to the holiday rush, they’re open from 8 am till 8 pm.
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