Several train cars carrying hazardous material are on fire after derailing in North Dakota
Foster County Emergency Management Director Andrew Kirking told CNN 911 was notified about the train derailment in the small town of Bordulac – about 140 miles northeast of Fargo – between 3:30 a.m. and 4 a.m. local time.
Kirking said the train was carrying “intact hazardous materials,” so authorities have been monitoring air quality near the incident. Between 25 and 30 cars derailed.
The North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality told CNN the train was carrying anhydrous ammonia, sulfur and methanol. Anhydrous ammonia, a gas widely used as a nitrogen-based fertilizer, can be extremely dangerous in high quantities, triggering explosions and causing dehydration and severe burns in humans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In a Facebook post, the DEQ said they are monitoring the remediation and cleanup of the derailment.
CNN has contacted Canadian Pacific, the train operator, for comment.
Kirking added that local crews, including Carrington Fire, regional hazardous material officials and Canadian Pacific also responded to the scene.
The emergency management director told CNN that crews are trying to bridge a gap over a bog to fight the fires and get heavy equipment to move the train cars.
“Our objective is to get the fire out in the next 12 to 18 hours,” Kirking said. “We are starting to get a little water on it right now.”
Kirking said getting the train cars removed will be a bit more tedious and will likely take more than a week or two.
He said all residents within a one-mile radius of the derailment were notified of the incident and potential hazards. Consequently, Kirking said, they have issued a voluntary evacuation.
The cause of the derailment is still under investigation, he said, adding that the engineer and conductor were the only people onboard the train and they escaped safely.
Kirking said it’s a little too early to tell if the hazardous material has leaked into any waterways, but an environmental group is coming out to set up to prevent any pollution.
“Right now based on the elevation, we think that the spill material can be contained around those railroad tracks and will not impact any water source,” Kirking said.
In a post on X, the National Transportation Safety Board said they are investigating the derailment.
The US Department of Homeland Security has been contacted about the train derailment due to the potential hazards involved. The incident has prompted US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to assist in monitoring the air quality and potential water contamination.
