55-car train halted by fire near Ottawa

1/20/2008

OTTAWA, Ohio - A train traveling through Ottawa on its way to Detroit caught fire late Friday night, authorities said.

The three-engine, 55-car train was headed north on the CSX Transportation tracks just before 10 p.m. when the engineer stopped the locomotive near Putnam County Road H just north of the village because of the fire in the first engine, Ottawa Fire Chief Ron Brinkman said.

The cause of the blaze is under investigation and the engineer was not hurt, he said. The fire was under control in about a half hour, the chief said.

After the fire was extinguished, another engine was brought to the scene and the train continued on its way, CSX spokesman Bob Sullivan said.

The Putnam County Hazardous Materials Response Team and the Ohio EPA responded to the scene because of diesel fuel from the engine, Chief Brinkman said. He said he was told the train was hauling hazardous materials, but he didn't know what kind.

Ottawa is 65 miles southwest of Toledo.