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BNSF Oil Train Derails, Catches Fire in Washington

Firefighters at the scene of an oil train derailment in northeast Washington on Tuesday. Photo Courtesy of the Washington Department of Ecology.

BNSF Oil Train Derails, Catches Fire in Washington

By Railfan & Railroad Staff

CUSTER, Wash. — A BNSF Railway oil train derailed and caught fire on Tuesday, forcing evacuations in a small town about 100 miles north of Seattle.

No one was injured but a massive plume of smoke was towering above the town of Custer following the derailment. According to BNSF Railway, seven cars of a northbound oil train derailed and at least two caught fire. The derailment occurred at 11:40 a.m. on BNSF’s Bellingham Subdivision. The cause of the derailment remains under investigation. 

Residents within a half-mile of the wreck have been told to leave the area and not return until the fire is out and smoke has dissipated. While firefighters are trying to douse the flames, the Washington Department of Ecology and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are setting up a unified command with BNSF to help lead the cleanup effort. 

“Our thoughts are with those who have been affected by this incident,” BNSF officials wrote on Twitter. “We will provide additional details as they become available.”

This article was posted on: December 22, 2020