Still image from CLTV video, as seen on the Chicagoist
A Chicago-bound freight train run by Canadian National Railway had 74 of its 114 cars filled with ethanol. At least 14 cars caught fire after the cargo train derailed yesterday in Rockford, causing an explosion and massive fire. Saturday morning, five rail cars were still burning, and the fire was expected to continue into the afternoon.
A woman waiting in her car at the railroad crossing was killed in the fire. Six were injured. One victim suffered second-degree burns on his hands while he tried to shield his neck from the flames. All train workers have been accounted for.
Because the train was carrying chemicals that burn for hours, about 600 homes in the area were evacuated. Air pollution and toxic fumes are a major concern. Firefighters needed to wait for the fire to burn itself out because of the hazards involved, observing from a few hundred feet away. Rockton Fire Chief Kirk Wilson called the situation explosive and “very dangerous. We're not risking any firefighters' lives.” Rockford Fire Chief Derek Bergsten noted that federal and state environmental officials were at the scene monitoring air and soil samples.
Cars on the train hydroplaned in standing water as it approached the railroad crossing, witnesses told the Rockford Register-Star. Canadian National Railway Company spokesman reported that derailment due to “washout of the tracks” was "not a certainty and this remains under investigation.”
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