A CPKC train with five railcars went up in flames as it was travelling in London, Ont., on Sunday night.
No injuries were reported and fire officials said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the railcars were carrying old railway materials made of wood and so there were no dangerous goods involved.
Still, residents in the area were urged to stay inside with windows shut because of heavy smoke just south of Oxford Street between Richmond and Waterloo streets.
The London Fire Department said multiple 911 calls came in from residents in the west end of the city at 10:49 p.m. The train continued travelling, heading eastbound to downtown.
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“Great job by (CPKC) train crew to disconnect locomotives,” the fire department posted to social media.
“Excellent job by fire crews to contain fire, (it) was a very efficient knockdown of a large fire.”
By 12:30 a.m. Monday, firefighters lifted the request for residents to stay indoors with windows shut, saying there was no more smoke in the area.
Shortly after 1 a.m., fire crews began clearing the scene and CP crews moved the train cars to the railway yard that stretches between Adelaide and Quebec streets, just north of Central Avenue.
Firefighters also made their way to the railway yard to continue dosing the smouldering wooden railway ties with a “T-Rex Aerial Truck,” the fire department said.
Damage is pegged at $25,000 for the rail cars and $10,000 to the Drewlo Holding building at Waterloo and Pall Mall streets (formerly the Siskinds building).
The fire department said the railway company was investigating the cause of the fire.
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