Brooks, KY- Train Fire/Haz Mat 01-16-07

[bigfitz2004 19]

Date:Tuesday January 16,2006

Time:

Location:BROOKS, Kentucky

Departments:

Description: Train fire forces evacuation in Kentucky

Links:http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/01/16/train.fire/index.htmlCNN

Writer: CNN

-Train was carrying cyclohexane, an inhalation hazard, authorities say

-Fire crews pulled back due to risk of another explosion

-Huge fire closes down part of interstate

BROOKS, Kentucky (CNN) -- Authorities evacuated residents within a one-mile radius Tuesday after a massive train derailment south of Louisville sparked an explosion and a huge fire.

No injuries have been reported, but authorities asked residents within a one-mile radius of the accident in Brooks to evacuate to get away from the heavy black smoke blanketing the area.

Authorities have determined that cyclohexane is the chemical burning in the blaze, according to Jason Keller, a spokesman for the Kentucky Department of Emergency Management.

"It's flammable, explosive, and an inhalation hazard," he said, adding that officials have decided to let the flames burn themselves out.

Cyclohexane is a solvent used in the production of paints, nylon and resins. It can affect the central nervous system if inhaled or ingested.

There were some other chemicals in some of the train's 80 cars, according to another official with the Kentucky Emergency Management office, but the three cars burning contained cyclohexane, which breaks down when it burns.

Seven air quality monitoring stations have been set up across Bullitt County, the official said, and so far none are showing signs of contamination.

As many as five tanker cars jumped the tracks, video from the scene showed, and were left jumbled perpendicular to the track.

A team from the National Transportation Safety Board will go to the scene later in the day to investigate the accident, the agency reported from Washington.

Gov. Ernie Fletcher flew over the scene a few hours after the derailment and told reporters at a news conference that a team from CSX would also inspect the cars and their contents.

"We're doing everything we can first to make sure we're managing the fire in a safe way," the governor said.

Bob Sullivan, a spokesman for CSX -- which operates the train -- said the company's first priority is helping emergency responders protect the public.

"We regret what has happened here, (and) we want to find out what caused it," Sullivan said at the news conference.

He added that CSX would also work with affected residents and businesses in the area to help get things back to normal.

The blaze lit the dark morning sky, sending black smoke billowing into the air, while orange flames lined the railroad track for hundreds of yards alongside the derailment.

It's not known what caused the accident, which occurred around 9 a.m., according to Keller.

Fire crews -- which at one point were trying to douse the blaze with water -- were asked to pull back from the site due to the risk of another explosion, according to Kentucky Emergency Management spokeswoman Nikki Ploskonka.

The only school in that area, Brooks Elementary, has had its students moved to another school in a safe zone, Ploskonka said.

A unit from the Kentucky National Guard was called in to assist with the scene and help determine exactly what chemical is burning, Ploskonka said. Members of the 41st Civil Support Team are trained in biological and chemical detection, she added.

A one-mile stretch of Kentucky Route 1020 is closed due to the smoke, and part of nearby Interstate 65 is shut down in both directions, the Bullitt County Sheriff's department said.

Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said a temporary flight restriction is in place in a one nautical mile radius of the derailment due to the smoke, and planes at Louisville International Airport are having to use another runway, she explained.

That airport is home to a huge UPS hub.

Edited January 16, 2007 by Truck4