Fire crews respond to the scene of a derailed train in the city of Custer, WA in Whatcom County on Tuesday, December 22, 2020. A BNSF spokesperson said seven train cars derailed and two caught fire.
Credit:
Washington State Department of Ecology
Train carrying crude oil derails, catches fire in Whatcom County
By
at
12:56 pm
A train carrying crude oil derailed and caught fire in Whatcom County Tuesday morning, prompting officials to evacuate all nearby residents and businesses for several hours.
Reports that the train had derailed came in around 11:46 a.m., according to the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office, in the 7500 block of Portal Way in Custer, Wash., roughly 15 miles north of Bellingham along I-5.