SOLON SPRINGS, Wis. (AP) -- Nineteen cars of a freight train derailed Thursday, sparking a fire and forcing the evacuation of 30 nearby homes because of fears the flames could cause a pressurized tanker car to explode, officials said.
No one was hurt in the derailment of the Union Pacific train just outside the village of Solon Springs in far northwestern Wisconsin. Firefighters, however, had to back a half-mile away from the burning wreck until they could be sure the tanker containing petroleum residue wouldn't shoot off like a missile, according to Douglas County Emergency Management Director Keith Kesler.
The fire was contained Thursday night, said Jim Kvedaras, spokesman for the Canadian National Railway, which owns the rail line. The railway hoped to have the line cleared and open for traffic by Friday night, he said.
Kvedaras said residents of all but three of the evacuated homes had been allowed to return home Thursday night.
The 56-car train left from Superior and was on its way to Chicago, said John Bromley, spokesman for the Union Pacific Railroad. Of the cars that derailed, seven were hauling lumber, seven had wheat and five were empty. At least one or two cars of lumber burned, he said.
There were no hazardous materials. An investigation was under way. Bromley said he didn't know why some cars caught fire.
Pat Cosgrove, a retired railroad engineer, said he heard the rumble from his house. ''When I got down there, I could see the rail cars all piled in a mess and lumber all over the place,'' Cosgrove said.
