Engine Compartment Of Train Catches Fire Near South Bend, Indiana

OSCEOLA, Ind. (AP) -- Spilled diesel fuel caught fire in the locomotive engine compartment of a freight train Friday, but the crew was able to extinguish it within 20 minutes, officials said.

Penn Township Fire Chief Mark Orellana said the crew of the westbound Norfolk Southern train noticed the fire while rolling through Osceola, about 10 miles east of South Bend, shortly before 6 a.m.

A system designed to deliver fuel to the locomotive's engine malfunctioned, sparking the fire, Orellana said. Excess fuel began to spill within the engine compartment.

When fire officials caught up to the train, smoke was showing and some flames were shooting out of the engine compartment, Orellana told the South Bend Tribune. Because diesel fuel is not explosive, nearby residents were not in danger, he said.

Orellana said the train was able to leave the scene under its own power within two hours.

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