Oil Train Cars Are Burning and Exploding in the Columbia River Gorge

An oil train fire continues to rage in the Columbia River Gorge, more than five hours after 11 cars derailed near the town of Mosier, Ore.

Video from WW news partner KATU-TV shows an explosion shortly after 5 pm that sent balls of fire as high as 100 feet into the air.

Another video shows the fire appearing to expand to multiple train cars.

A Union Pacific Railroad spokesman told WW earlier this afternoon that only one of the cars caught fire. He said 11 cars of a 96-car train derailed around 12:20 pm, while carrying Bakken crude oil from Eastport, Idaho, to Tacoma, Wash.

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has issued a statement.

"I am grateful to local first responders, HazMat teams, and other state agencies for doing their best to keep the community of Mosier safe," Brown says. "I am closely monitoring the situation and ready to make every state resource available as needed. I ask that travelers seek alternate routes away from this area until further notice."

Brown is expected to address media at a Hood River press conference within the hour.

Portland Mayor Charlie Hales says the derailment and fire shows he made the right decision in championing a vote last year that made Portland the first city in the nation to block the expansion of fossil-fuel pipelines, tanks and terminals within city limits.

"'I told you so' sounds flippant," Hales told KGW-TV today, "but this is why our city has taken a strong stand."

UPDATE, 7:15 pm: In a Hood River press conference, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown and local officials told media that firefighters were using hoses to cool the train cars that were not on fire, before moving to the train cars where oil was burning.

Brown said there had been no injuries in the derailment or fire. She said she expected a state investigation into why the oil train derailed.

"At this time, my comments are saying how grateful I am that first responders got people out of the area."

Video from television news crews has shown the smoke billowing from the oil train fire starting to slow and dissipate in the past hour.

Justin Jacobs, a spokesman for Union Pacific Railroad, said several train cars were "currently aflame" and apologized to the residents of Mosier for "any inconvenience."

Jacobs said Union Pacific did not know if any oil had leaked into the Columbia River.

Willamette Week