Evacuations ordered as train derails, burns near Custer
The Bellingham Herald
12/22/2020
Denver Pratt, The Bellingham Herald (Bellingham, Wash.)
Dec. 22—A train has derailed and caught fire in the Custer area and residents and visitors within a half-mile were being evacuated, according to Whatcom County Public Works, the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office and Washington State Patrol.
The train, carrying crude oil, derailed around 11:40 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 22, in the Custer area, according to Courtney Wallace, a Burlington Northern Santa Fe spokesperson. It is a BNSF train and track, Wallace said.
The train derailed near the 7500 block of Portal Way, according to the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office on Twitter. The sheriff's office is working on evacuating people within a half-mile of the derailment, the agency said.