An 18-wheeler truck hit a train carrying chemicals and fuels in Cameron, Texas, early Tuesday, causing a huge explosion and starting a fire that is expected to last several days.
The town of Milam County of 5,400, about 72 miles northeast of Austin, was shaken by the explosion at about 6:45 am, according to Sheriff Chris White of Cameron.
White said the driver of an 18-wheeler truck lost control of his vehicle, failed to stop, swerved from a parked vehicle and entered a railroad crossing, where his truck hit a BNSF train.
“No one was hurt or killed,” said White.
A barn was completely destroyed by fire and several nearby houses were evacuated, but most people returned to their homes.
The first 11 cars on the train were filled with gasoline, coal and oil products, causing the initial explosion and fueling a fire that was still burning on Tuesday night, White said.
A wagon further down the train filled with phosphoric acid solution was disengaged and taken to safety before it could be ignited by the burning fuel wagons, and a specialized fire team sent from BNSF arrived with heavy equipment to put out the fire.
“They have a lot of people working on it,” said White on Tuesday night. “They are indicating that it may take up to two or three days to extinguish all the fire.”
Seven or eight houses in the “very rural area” were affected and residents could be displaced for several days, White said.
Courtney Wallace, a BNSF spokeswoman, confirmed that an investigation is underway and said 13 of the train’s 110 wagons derailed, 10 of which continued to burn on Tuesday night.
“Once the fire is extinguished, we will be able to determine how much product is left in the cars and work to safely remove them from the site,” Wallace said in a statement. “Air quality tests in the area are ongoing.”
