Following article was posted to the web site KOCO.com, channel 5 TV station in Oklahoma City, on 8-22 & 23-08 .
Derailment, Explosions Send Fire, Smoke Into Okla. Sky
Train Headed South From Tulsa; 2 On Board Unhurt
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Crews with Burlington Northern-Santa Fe will soon begin the process of cleaning up after a train derailment Friday afternoon near Luther that resulted in explosions and sent a massive plume of smoke into the central Oklahoma sky.
The BNSF train, carrying crude oil and ethanol, derailed just northeast of Luther and north of state Highway 66 at about 2:30 p.m., sending a giant fireball into the sky and forcing evacuations within a half-mile of the area. The track is owned by the state of Oklahoma but operated by the Stillwater Central Railroad, said BNSF spokesman Joe Foust.
Foust said a foam fire trailer is headed to Luther from Amarillo, Texas. The plan is to let the fire burn a bit longer, and then attack it with foam.
Hazmat crews from Edmond and Oklahoma City flocked to the scene Friday afternoon, as did firefighting teams from Wellston, Hickory Hills, Midwest City and authorities from Oklahoma County.
The train was southbound to Temple, Texas, from Tulsa, Foust said. There were two people were on board the 110-car train, and neither was hurt.
Fire officials said an area 1/2 mile around the explosion was blocked and evacuated. The only way people were allowed to return to the area is to pick up a family member or child. Authorities would not let people return to pick up animals, including horses and livestock.
The smoke could be seen across much of central Oklahoma. It even showed up for a time on Advantage Doppler HD, KOCO's weather radar.
There were multiple explosions after the derailment, and flames neared but never ignited an oil pump in the area.
Authorities said the fire began with a report of smoke onboard the train, and then witnesses reported a loud noise and fire. BNSF is sending company officials from Fort Worth, Texas, to the scene.
The fire is burning in an area that is primarily rural.