7 April 2008
Train Derailment, Fire Near Weyburn
Halbrite Saskatchewan - A fire that broke out following a
train derailment between Halbrite and Ralph in southeastern Saskatchewan has not involved train cars carrying dangerous goods, a
Canadian Pacific Railway spokesman has said.
Mike Lovecchio said there are three train cars near the fire. One contains glycol used for antifreeze. A second was carrying vinyl
acetate, which is used in wood glue and to make hoses. A third car had been carrying butane, but it was empty at the time of the
derailment, however Levecchio said it is possible some residual fumes are present in it.
He does not know how many cars left the track. However, Bill Houghton, a spokesman for the Weyburn Fire Department, said there were six
cars involved. Lovecchio said part of the investigation into the incident will include determining if a second train was involved.
A Leader-Post photographer and reporter have been taken close to the scene. They report the fire is still burning,
although it appears no one is in danger.
The derailment triggered an evacuation of a one kilometre radius around the scene, according to the RCMP. Traffic on Highway 39 is
being re-routed at least two kilometres away from the location, according to the Weyburn Fire Department's Houghton.
The cars left the tracks at around 8:15 a.m. this morning. In a media release following the derailment, the RCMP said the derailment
included cars carrying di-nitrogen tetroxide and nitric oxide.
Lovecchio said from his office in Victoria that it is possible other cars on the train contained those chemicals, but those cars were
not involved in the derailment.
This type of incident is a rare call for the Weyburn Fire Department to respond to, said Houghton.
"I've been here 21 years and it's the first call we've have of something like this," he said.
Besides the Weyburn Fire Department, there are RCMP officers, city police, and CP officials on scene. Saskatchewan Ministry of
Environment representatives are also expected, said Houghton.
"There were no injuries to anybody in the community," said Lovecchio. All the crew have been accounted for and are
"fine", he said.
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