Repost from MSNBC, The Rachel Maddow Show [Editor: Extraordinary coverage. Fast forward to minute 7:30 to see the report with video of the Galena, Illinois derailment and explosion along with an interview with an on-the-scene investigative reporter. – RS]
Fiery explosion as another oil train derails
3/5/15
Mark Stevens, KWQC-TV investigative reporter, talks with Rachel Maddow about a still-burning oil train explosion in Illinois, on a day that included miles of cars stranded in the snow in Kentucky and a plane sliding off the runway in New York City. Duration: 13:27
A BNSF unit train carrying oil derailed Thursday in Illinois.
One family evacuated, the Associated Press reported.
The derailment occurred 3 miles south of Galena in a wooded and hilly area that is a major tourist attraction and the home of former President Ulysses S. Grant. The Jo Daviess County Sheriff’s Department confirmed the train was transporting oil from the Northern Plains’ Bakken region.
Repost from KWQC TV6, Davenport IA [Editor: Good interview at Incident Command location with Galena City Administrator Mark Moran showing smoke plumes in the background. Also separate video of explosions and a segment with ariel video showing crude oil and trees on fire. – RS]
Train derails south of Galena, Ill.
By Jeff Whitten, March 5, 2015, 2:37 pm Updated: March 5, 2015, 6:16 pm
GALENA, Ill. – (KWQC) – The Jo Daviess County Sheriff says a train has derailed south of Galena where the Galena River meets the Mississippi River.
We have confirmed that the train was carrying oil. Our news team is near the scene and can see smoke coming from the fire. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service tells TV-6 that fire crews were pulled away from the fire because of the danger.
You can also see a large plume of smoke from the live slope cameras located at Chestnut Mountain Ski Resort. Two members of the Coast Guard are also on their way to the scene. Iowa American Water company, which uses the Mississippi River as a source for drinking water, has not been notified of the incident.
BNSF released this statement on the derailment:
A BNSF Railway train derailed at approximately 1:20 pm CST in a rural area south of Galena, IL. There are no injuries reported. The train consists of 105 loaded cars, which includes 103 cars loaded with crude oil and 2 buffer cars loaded with sand. BNSF responders are en route. No further information is available at this time.
UPDATE: Crude oil burning after train derails near Galena
By TH Media, March 5, 2015 4:15 pm | Updated: 5:02 pm, Thu Mar 5, 2015
View of smoke from a train derailment as seen from LeFevre Inn & Resort in Galena. Jessica Reilly
GALENA, Ill. — A firefighter near the scene of a derailed BNSF Railway train in rural Jo Daviess County said crude oil is burning after the wreck.
No injuries have been reported.
Multiple Illinois agencies have responded to the derailment, including fire departments from Galena, East Dubuque and Menominee-Dunleith. Grant County, Wis., hazardous material responders are on scene, as are firefighters from Dubuque.
The train derailed south of Galena at approximately 1:20 p.m., according to a statement from BSNF.
BNSF said the train has 105 cars, 103 of which were carrying crude oil. It’s unclear how many cars have derailed.
BNSF has not confirmed that the derailed cars are leaking. However, a firefighter responding to the scene said crude oil has caught fire. Smoke could be seen rising the scene.
Jo Daviees County Sheriff’s Sgt. Mike Moser says several cars have caught fire as a result of the derailment. However, the blaze hasn’t prompted any evacuations, although that may change.
BNSF officials say railroad representatives are headed to the scene of the derailment. The railroad is working with local responders and has notified the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Railroad Administration, according to the statement.
Dubuque Fire Chief Rick Steines said he has deployed firefighters with foam fire suppression equipment to a derailment staging area.
“We sent two people with our foam trailer because of a request we got form Jo Daviess County,” he said.
Steines said he didn’t know any specific details about the wreck.
Attempts to reach the Galena Fire Department have been unsuccessful. The BNSF statement said no additional details are available.
ORIGINAL STORY:
The Jo Daviess County Sheriff’s Department is responding to a reported train derailment near the ferry landing in the Galena area.
The preliminary information from authorities is that five railcars are involved.
