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.