Oregon firefighters extinguish train derail blaze

Oregon firefighters extinguish train derail blaze


PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A train derailment ignited several tanker cars full of ethanol Wednesday, touching off a massive fire that prompted the evacuation of nearby residents and blocked a major highway for hours.

No injuries were reported, Portland Fire & Rescue spokesman Paul Corah said.

A normally busy stretch of U.S. Highway 30 northwest of Portland was closed for hours and fire officials said a half-mile area around the blaze was temporarily evacuated Wednesday afternoon.

About 250 firefighters battled the two-alarm blaze, extinguishing it after four hours, Corah said.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ipDid9spjJeVaH1XP0KaxwauBcvQ?docId=d3c39a7eab9e4dd6a5c6b0affbf0f77e

on 10th anniversary of 9/11 - plans to derail trains in US:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1059134

Hmmm going to keep tabs on future train derailments.

Short answer: No.

In this case, one of the lumber cars on the freight train had a bearing fail, the wheel seized, and the car derailed itself. It wasn't noticed until the car had collided with the ethanol tankers about a mile down the tracks.

Second, this happened about 10 miles out of Portland on the way to Scappoose. If you're asking "Where?" don't feel bad. It's a pretty lonely stretch of highway (despite the "busy" adjective in the story), and even if those ethanol tanks had blown sky high, it would have taken out three deer, a couple of possums and maybe a skunk. Hardly a target to inspire fear and terror if it had been an attack and if it had been successful.