Crime & Safety

New Details on Friday Train Fire in Long Lake

Train Pulling Hazardous Material Catches Fire

Fire broke out Friday afternoon inside the locomotive of a Burlington Northern Santa Fe train pulling at least one car containing hazardous material. No injuries were reported, and police say there was never a threat to public safety.

“It was an east-bound train from Aberdeen to Minneapolis and carrying all sorts of freight,” Amy McBeth, BNSF’s Midwest public affairs director, said—adding the fire caused only minimal delays in rail traffic and that trains were again moving normally by Friday night.

The train was near Minnesota Highway 12 and the Brown Road overpass when reports of fire first began coming in just after 3:30 p.m. Friday. Thick, black smoke could be seen billowing from the area for miles. Any chemical or combustible material was about 50 cars away from the engine that caught fire, Wayzata Police Chief Mike Risvold said.

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Long Lake Fire Chief James Van Eyll said no hazmat cleanup crews were needed and that inclement weather passing through the area Friday did not contribute to the accident.

"The train's engine was leaking oil and it flashed," Van Eyll said. "There was a big ball of smoke and flame and that was it over. The conductor hit the emergency switch and shut down the train."

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Law enforcement closed the Brown Road Bridge over Highway 12 for about 30 minutes while firefighters tamped out the flames. Emergency responders from Wayzata, Orono, Long Lake and the Minnesota State Patrol were all dispatched to the scene. All units cleared the scene just after 5:20 p.m. 

Locomotive 5677 was pulled into a BNSF rail yard in Minneapolis following the fire for repairs.


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