BORDULAC, N.D. — The fire at the site of a CPKC derailment in North Dakota has mostly been extinguished, with cleanup and infrastructure repair work continuing today (Sunday, July 7).
KFGO Radio reports first responders remain on scene as the fire occasionally flairs up as the derailed railcars are moved. The process is now underway to remove remaining anhydrous ammonia and methanol remaining in the derailed cars before the cars can be cleared from the scene.
The Friday morning derailment on CPKC’s Carrington Subdivision involved about 29 cars; up to 15 of those caught fire [see “CPKC train carrying hazardous materials derails …,” Trains News Wire, July 5, 2024]. The thick black smoke resulting from the fire is now being attributed in part to carloads of plastic pellets that burned. The North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality has reported no signs of air contamination in the area and that as of 5 p.m. Saturday, there were no impacts to soil or water outside the incident site.
