Oil Train derailment and fire in Custer, WA 12-22-20

[wazzou]

A BNSF Oil Train derailed today not far South of the US - Canadian border in Custer, WA.
3-5 cars I am told.  1/2 mile wide area evacuated and Interstate 5 is shut down in the area.
At least 1 tank car has been burning for several hours.
No details of the cause, so far but there have been numerous cases reported of activists putting shunts on the rails, though that seems unlikely to lead to this incident directly.

[nkalanaga]

By 'shunts" I assume you mean shorting the signals, to stop the trains?

If they're willing to do that, I wouldn't put actively trying to derail one beyond them, but the stories I read said the derailment was at or near the rear of the train, so I suspect that it wasn't tampering.

They had a winter storm go through Monday, with some dramatic temperature swings, and heavy rain, so it could be a track issue related to that.  But that's just my uninformed speculation, from 2500 miles away.

It's interesting that this apparently didn't make the national news.  A few years ago every media outlet would have it as one of the top stories.  Maybe because it's in the Northwest, which news services don't usually talk much about?

[Mark W]

It's interesting that this apparently didn't make the national news.  A few years ago every media outlet would have it as one of the top stories.  Maybe because it's in the Northwest, which news services don't usually talk much about?

Hell of a year...

[nkalanaga]

Mark W:  I'll agree about the year.  And, it makes sense, that most people in the US don't care much about what happens in the Northwest, as most don't live there!  Also, it didn't make the most photogenic news, as the trees are thick enough that the only thing visible, from a safe distance, was the smoke.

[wazzou]

https://mynorthwest.com/gallery/train-derailment-in-whatcom-county/

[m_nanson]

That location is right near the BP Cherry Point oil refinery, which has a big oil by rail unload facility.  Google earth has an oil train in its sat shot of the area, sitting in the passing siding.