Derailed oil train catches fire again in Custer
The Bellingham Herald
12/24/2020
Robert Mittendorf, The Bellingham Herald (Bellingham, Wash.)
Dec. 24—Smoldering oil from ruptured railroad tank cars caught fire Wednesday night, Dec. 23, only hours before the track's scheduled reopening.
Residents in the immediate area were told to leave their homes in case firefighters were unable to get flames under control, said BNSF Railway spokeswoman Courtney Wallace.
"First responders are on scene and operations have been suspended at this time. Out of an abundance of caution, immediate neighbors were evacuated," Wallace told The Bellingham Herald in an email.
Details were unavailable early Thursday, Dec. 24, but the emergency services app Pulse Point showed that firefighters and other Whatcom County emergency services were sent to Main Street and Portal Way in Custer at 9:15 p.m. Wednesday.