Deadly crash sparks Ore. train tanker fire
PORTLAND, Ore. — A deadly crash sparked a massive railroad tanker car fire in Northwest Portland Sunday morning, forcing residents to hunker down in their homes as thick black smoke filled the air.
People from as far away as the St. Johns area across the Willamette River said they heard loud explosions and then saw flames shoot high into the air.
Investigators said the fire started when a tractor-trailer rig collided with one of the rail cars just before 9 a.m. PT Sunday. The driver of the truck was killed in the crash, according to police.He has not been identified.
Nearby businesses were evacuated and residents were told to stay inside their homes, with their windows tightly shut. Authorities said the nearest homes were about a half-mile from the fire.
Dozens of firefighters rushed to the scene from around Portland and nearby Vancouver, Washington.
When the truck crashed, the unknown fuel it was carrying leaked underneath railroad tanker cars parked on the tracks, which run parallel to the highway, said Terry Foster, a spokesman for Portland Fire & Rescue.
The fuel ignited, burning eight rail cars, but none of the liquid asphalt they contained leaked out, Foster said. “The semi truck appeared to have gone off the road and crashed into the parked rail cars,” he said.
The affected rail line is owned by Portland & Western Railroad, which operates a number of short-line railways in Oregon. The BNSF main line, which carries 30 passenger and freight trains a day nearby, was not impacted, BNSF spokesman Gus Melanos said.
Neighbor Josh Golden said he was awakened by sirens. When they continued coming, he went outside and saw large plumes of black smoke.
“You could see them just billowing up before the bridge,” Golden said.
The Holiday Half Marathon in the area also was affected by the heavy smoke. About 100 runners who had difficulty breathing were transported out of the area on school buses.
No other injuries were reported.
Contributing: The Associated Press. Follow Teresa Blackman on Twitter: @tblackmanKGW