Ebene News – United States – Washington train derailment triggers evacuation in Custer

CUSTER, WA – A train carrying crude oil derailed near downtown Custer on Tuesday noon, forcing officials to order a massive evacuation of downtown and surrounding areas

According to BNSF, the train derailed at around 11:40 a.m. Early reports indicated that three to five of the train’s tank cars had derailed, but upon investigation, MPs determined that in fact seven cars had completely derailed A fire broke out near the end of the train, burning two of the seven derailed cars The fire threw up a large plume of smoke that could be seen from miles away

The WhatcomCounty sheriff’s office responded to the news by ordering an emergency evacuation, telling everyone within 2 miles of the crash site to immediately leave the area

This evacuation also caused several traffic disruptions. I-5 was closed for about an hour between Grandview Road and Birch Bay, with WSDOT encouraging drivers to consider multiple detours

In downtown Custer, Grandview and Main Street remain closed to Portal Way, as authorities attempt to remove residents from the crash site

As of 3 p.m. several state agencies are on the scene, helping contain the blaze and assess the damage, including the Washington Department of Ecology

BNSF says it is still investigating the cause of the derailment, but its first priority is to ensure the safety of its crews and the surrounding city.They have promised to release more information about the derailment as soon as ‘they will be available

This is news, Patch will update this page as more information comes in

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Derailment, derailment, Whatcom County, Custer, oil