A common sight towards the end of summer here in the steam era was blackened ground on both sides of the track . The long grasses that grew alongside the tracks during the spring rains were dead and tinder dry by the middle of summer. The sparks from a passing steam loco would easily set numerous grass fires. This has, thankfully, disappeared with the passing of the steam era but I have been on the odd heritage steam trip that had to divert to a different route during high summer because the local fire authorities deemed it too dangerous to allow a known "fire bug" to pass through their region.
I have also been on other trips where the steam train was followed a few minutes later by a fire fighting road truck with rail guidance wheels.
