8-car train derailment leads to diesel fuel fire in northwest Atlanta

ATLANTA — Firefighters have extinguished a large fire that sparked after eight train cars derailed in Northwest Atlanta Friday morning.

It happened around 6:15 am. NewsChopper 2 flew over Chattahoochee Avenue NW and Defoor Avenue for Channel 2 Action News This Morning and saw cars off the track and fire blowing smoke into the air.

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CSX owns the railyard where this happened. No one was hurt and no evacuations were necessary in nearby neighborhoods, according to Atlanta Fire and Rescue Department.

CSX Spokesperson Sheriee Bowman said preliminary reports indicate that a Norfolk Southern train came in contact with a standing CSX train. That ruptured the fuel tank on a CSX locomotive and caused some cars carrying plastic pellets to turn over.

First Deputy Chief for Atlanta Fire and Rescue Department, James Mclemor, said the locomotive had 4,000 gallons of fuel on it, and about 1,200 burned off.

He said CSX mitigation team has contained any runoff.

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“CSX appreciates the swift action of local first responders,” CSX officials wrote to Channel 2 Action News in a statement. “Safety is our highest priority as we work to develop a recovery plan.”

Norfolk Southern confirmed to Channel 2 Action News that they are working with CSX to investigate the cause of the collision.

CSX said the cleanup steps include safe removal of any derailed cars, completing any repairs to track infrastructure, cleaning up plastic pellets and any remaining diesel fuel.

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