Residents in Whatcom County, Washington have been ordered to evacuate after a train carrying a load of crude oil derailed and caught fire, with local authorities clearing anyone within a half-mile of the crash site.
The derailment on Tuesday afternoon involved three to five cars, the BNSF railway said in a statement on Twitter, adding that there were reports of a fire near the end of the vehicle and that emergency response crews were working to “assess and mitigate the situation.”
.@wsdot_traffic cameras show what appears to be a significant fire from an oil train derailment north of Ferndale in Whatcom County, WA. Evacuations of surrounding area recently ordered. 2020 is not through with us yet😮. https://t.co/RfeeypeRPc pic.twitter.com/DNG0BT1kfF
— Tom Banse (@TomBanse) December 22, 2020
The evacuation was also announced online by a public relations officer for the Washington State Patrol, who urged all “residents and visitors” to leave the immediate area around the tanker.
Hi, someone who just happened to be in the area at the time of the fire here, it started just about noon , and here’s some photos I got while we were coming back from Birch Bay. Shaken! pic.twitter.com/m2AX6JM0mY
— Atlas #mementomori ⚫️⚪️ (@atlascosplays) December 22, 2020
BNSF is working with local authorities to assess and mitigate the situation. The cause of the incident is under investigation. Our first priority is dealing with any safety issues. We will provide additional details as they become available. (2/2)
— BNSF Railway (@BNSFRailway) December 22, 2020
Source: RT