Freight train derails in Hartford, crews work to clean up fuel spill

HARTFORD, Wis. - Off the tracks and leaking fuel, Hartford will feel the effects of Monday morning's train derailment for days. The derailment happened near Independence and Constitution Avenue.

There are no road closures right now, but the cleanup won't be over any time soon.

Train derailment

What we know:

The train consisted of approximately three locomotive engines and 55 train cars, of which three engines and 19 cars had derailed. 

Three Hartford Ambulances were utilized to treat and transport three injured people, who were the conductor and engineers of the train. 

The injured employees indicated that the diesel tanks on at least one of the locomotive engines were damaged and actively leaking diesel fuel onto the ground.

"There’s approximately several thousand gallons of diesel fuel that have spilled onto the ground," said Hartford Fire Chief Tony Burgard.

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Also of concern was a tank car hauling nitrous oxide that suffered exterior damage but remained intact enough not to leak its contents.

Burgard says they responded around 9:30 Monday morning, June 30, to a train derailment.

80 additional first responders helped alongside seven other departments.

"All the diesel that had been spilled out of the split tanks that are on the engine, we had dug the trenches like we talked about, so they are pumping the diesel both out of the standing diesel in the ground, in the trenches that we dug and also out of the tanks that are leaking to stop any further leaks," Burgard added.

As of Monday afternoon, firefighters said it wasn't clear why the train derailed.

Clean-up continues

What we know:

But they did know the heat presented a challenge.

"All of our firefighters working in turnout gear are getting a little exhausted doing the off-loading, pumping of diesel fuel and moving ball tanks," said Burgard.

But there is one thing working in their favor.

"Diesel fuel is one of the lower categories of flammable liquid so we’re not as concerned as we would be with – like gasoline," Burgard noted.

Emergency responders say everything is contained and there is no threat to anyone in the area.

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In the meantime, a remediation team is working on cleanup and determining what caused the derailment.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is also investigating alongside those crews to figure out the environmental impact.

FOX6 reached out to Wisconsin and Southern Railroad for comment.

The company said this is still under investigation.

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