Train Cars Carrying Ethanol Catch Fire in Texas Derailment

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — No one was hurt when a Union Pacific train carrying ethanol derailed in a residential area in Fort Worth and caught fire. Union Pacific spokeswoman Kristen South says the train derailed at about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday near Echo Lake in Fort Worth. South says the fire was mostly contained by 8 a.m. and that crews will spend the day cleaning up the site.

The National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating, says 20 rail cars derailed and five tank cars caught fire. Authorities say the fire prompted the evacuation of about 20 nearby homes as a precaution, and a hazardous material team is on site to monitor the air quality.

The cause of the derailment is not yet known, though it occurred when heavy thunderstorms were moving through the area.