A train derailment near Salt Lake City's airport became the center of an active HAZMAT situation yesterday, according to multiple reports. Firefighters were dispatched around 11:45 a.m. to the site near 436 N. Neil Armstrong Rd., where a train had derailed and punctured a fuel tank, according to KUTV. The resulting fire from the leaking diesel fuel was extinguished in roughly 30 minutes. The incident led to road closures in the vicinity while emergency services managed the scene.
Diesel fuel began leaking following the incident from a 500-gallon fuel tank located beneath the locomotive. Fire Captain Chad Jepperson described how the tank might have struck debris, which either caused a spark or generated enough heat to ignite the diesel. "Crews arrived and found fire coming from both sides of the train," Jepperson said in a Salt Lake Tribune interview. Despite the dangers associated with such events, the lack of large flames, typical of burning diesel, allowed for the situation to be controlled swiftly.
Meanwhile, local businesses were not evacuated but instead were allowed to continue operating normally, even with some roadway restrictions in place. As the investigation into the derailment continues, updates are expected to be provided by local authorities.
