Runaway Railroad Cars Set Off 2 Explosions in Montana Capital

Two explosions caused by runaway railroad cars rocked Montana’s capital city Thursday, cutting off electricity and forcing the evacuation of thousands of people as wind chills dipped to 70 degrees below zero.

The runaway cars derailed and hit a propane tank near the railroad tracks, setting off an explosion. Minutes later, the fire from the blast caused one of the derailed cars containing a flammable chemical to blow up, authorities said.

A second car containing plastic also burned, producing a cloud of black smoke that prompted the evacuations.

Windows Shatter

The force of the early morning blasts overturned automobiles, shattered windows at a nearby college and homes and hurled pieces of railroad car through buildings a quarter-mile away, officials said.

“It’s a miracle no one was killed or injured,” said Ed Schild, Lewis and Clark County undersheriff. Two minor injuries were reported.

Mayor Russell Ritter estimated the damage at $3 million.

The accident happened as a severe cold snap paralyzed the state. Gov. Stan Stephens shut down state government throughout Montana, citing the cold temperatures, power outages and noxious fumes emitted by the fire.

The explosion occurred in an open area on the city’s west side and severed one of three major power lines, officials said. Although power was knocked out for 37,000 people, electricity was restored to most areas by late morning.

In Washington, the Federal Railroad Administration said the incident began when a cab heater malfunctioned in a Montana Rail Link locomotive hauling 48 freight cars over the Continental Divide west of Helena.

“The crew stopped the freight to exchange the lead locomotive for another lead locomotive with a better heater . . . ,” the FRA said in a statement. “This maneuver required them to disconnect the locomotives from the 48 freight cars being hauled.

“When the exchange of locomotives was complete, the crew returned to pick up the freight cars only to find they were gone,” it said, adding that the cars had rolled 12 miles east to Helena.

21 Cars Derailed

The railroad agency said the runaway cars hit another locomotive and 21 of the cars derailed. One of those cars hit a propane tank alongside the track, the agency said, touching off an explosion.

Authorities evacuated more than 4,000 people from an area one square mile around the burning railroad cars, said Col. Gary Blair, the adjutant general for Montana’s National Guard. City Manager Bill Verwolf put the number evacuated at about 2,000.

Evacuees fled to churches, the Helena Civic Center, the National Guard armory and schools, which were already closed by the cold.