Train derailment in Todd County sparks fire, prompts temporary shelter-in-place order
FOX23 News at 9 p.m.
TRENTON, Ky., (KBSI) — A CSX freight train derailment in Todd County released a hazardous material and ignited a fire Tuesday morning, leading officials to order nearby residents to shelter in place before later determining the area was safe, according to the Associated Press.
The AP reported that 31 rail cars left the tracks around 6:15 a.m. CST west of Trenton. CSX said one car carrying molten sulfur was compromised, allowing the material to escape and burn. Fire crews extinguished the blaze by late morning, and no injuries were reported.
Gov. Andy Beshear said local emergency management officials issued a shelter-in-place order for the city of Trenton as a precaution following the derailment. He urged residents to follow local guidance and emphasized that state officials were monitoring the situation.
CSX said cleanup crews moved quickly to secure the scene and reduce environmental risk, adding that protecting workers and the surrounding community remained the company’s top priority.
While sulfur can pose health concerns when burning, air monitoring conducted after the incident showed no continuing danger, the AP reported. Todd County emergency management officials subsequently lifted the precautionary shelter-in-place order, which had covered an area roughly a half mile from the derailment site.
The derailment occurred about a mile west of downtown Trenton, approximately 55 miles northwest of Nashville, Tennessee.
