U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Historic Oxbow Bridge Destroyed by Wildfire Near Cibola National Wildlife Refuge

BLYTHE, CA – August 7, 2025 – The iconic Oxbow Bridge, a wooden structure spanning the Colorado River near the Cibola National Wildlife Refuge in California, was wholly destroyed by a wildfire today. The blaze, which began in nearby brush, rapidly engulfed the bridge within 20 minutes, according to eyewitness accounts. Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire and warning boaters of hazardous debris in the river.

The bridge, located approximately 15 miles south of Blythe in Imperial County, served as a popular access point for recreational activities within the 40,000-acre Cibola National Wildlife Refuge, a crucial habitat for migratory birds and endangered species like the Yuma clapper rail. While the refuge itself was not directly impacted by the fire, the loss of the bridge significantly restricts access to portions of the refuge for researchers, volunteers, and the public.

Brad Robinson, a local farmer, was among the first to report the fire to 911. “You knew it was done. There was no saving it,” Robinson, 48, told reporters. He described watching the flames quickly spread from the surrounding brush to the wooden supports and decking of the bridge. “Next thing you know, the whole entire bridge was burning… It just kept running down the bridge until the point of where the whole bridge, every part of it that was wood, was completely engulfed.”

The Bureau of land Management is leading the inquiry into the fire’s origin. The Bureau of Reclamation has deployed buoys to mark submerged hazards created by the bridge’s collapse, urging boaters to avoid the area and exercise extreme caution due to floating debris and potential unmarked obstacles downstream.

The Friends of Cibola NWR, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the refuge, also issued a warning to boaters via a facebook post, advising them to steer clear of the affected area.

Multiple agencies responded to the fire, including the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Imperial County Fire Department, and local law enforcement.

This isn’t the first time the Oxbow Bridge has been lost to fire. Robinson, familiar with the bridge’s history, emphasized the importance of preventative maintenance. “If thay’re going to have a wooden bridge, don’t let the brush build up underneath it. If there had been no brush around that bridge, that bridge would have never burned,” he stated. The bridge was originally constructed in [Insert original construction date if available – research needed], and had undergone repairs and renovations over the years. [Research needed: details on previous fires/damage to the bridge].

The loss of the Oxbow Bridge raises questions about the future of access to this section of the Cibola National Wildlife Refuge and the potential for a more durable bridge structure to be built in its place. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has not yet announced plans for reconstruction, but the incident highlights the ongoing challenges of managing infrastructure in wildfire-prone areas of the American Southwest.