By admin 
LA PAZ COUNTY, AZ (AZFamily) — People who live along the Colorado River in southwest Arizona now face a long detour to reach California after a bridge collapsed when it caught fire.
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The Hart Mine Bridge collapse cut off one of the only crossings between Interstate 10 and Interstate 8. The loss comes less than a year after another bridge in the same area burned.
The road to the crossing remains closed because of the Island Fire. The cause is under investigation. Officials say the fire has burned more than 3,000 acres, damaged at least one alfalfa field and forced some residents to evacuate.
“They were woken up to the fact that the fire had jumped, and it was now over to their property and were told to evacuate,” one resident said.
The Bureau of Land Management said no structures were damaged other than the bridge that connects Arizona and California.
“This bridge provides access to our farmers that do farming over there … this is their livelihood … so this is a huge loss for them … and a big challenge for them to conduct their day-to-day business,” a resident said.
Holly Irwin, with the La Paz County Board of Supervisors, said it is the second bridge to burn in the area. She said next week marks one year since a fire ripped through the Oxbow bridge.
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“The county has been actively working on obtaining grants to replace the Oxbow bridge; the biggest challenge is the cost, which is $13.2 million to replace that bridge,” Irwin said.
She said a previous grant application was denied, but the county reapplied last week.
Fire officials reported no injuries, but they did rescue a donkey. They said the animal is doing fine.
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