Early reports suggested several cars in the train, which was traveling to New York, ignited when they struck a gas line, but that cannot be confirmed, Painesville Fire Capt. Ken Takacs said.
"They will not be able to determine (a cause for the derailment) until the fire is out and they do a rail examination," Painesville Lt. Denise Mercsak said.
Of the train's 112 cars, 30 railroad cars were blown off the tracks and 13 ignited. They continued to burn because some of the cars were carrying ethanol, Painesville Township Fire Chief Frank Whitakker said.
"Right now, the only thing burning is ethanol," he said.
Flames shot 20 to 30 feet in the air. The fire poured thick, black smoke into the air toward the southeast. Smoke was visible from miles away.
Flames were reported to be visible from a quarter of a mile away.
No one was hurt during the explosion, derailment and ensuing fire, Whitakker said.
Six law enforcement agencies and 24 area fire departments and the local hazardous-materials management team responded to the blaze and ethanol spill, Mercsak said.
Authorities also were spraying water on a train car filled with isobutylene, a highly flammable hydrocarbon, in an attempt to keep it from igniting, Whitakker said.
Authorities are concerned with the contamination of ground water, however, so there are no plans to use water to extinguish the blaze, Mercsak said.
The blaze was to expected burn throughout the night, Mercsak said, but authorities planned a test Wednesday night to see if extinguishing the fire with foam would be a viable option.
If successful, it was believed that more foam would be used today to extinguish the entire blaze, Mercsak said.
CSX told representatives of the office of U.S. Rep. Steven C. LaTourette, R-Bainbridge Township, that there were no toxic inhalant hazards - poisonous gases - on the train. Other cars carried corn and lumber, Mercsak said.
CSX already moved some of the train cars that were not affected by the derailment, Takacs said. When the track is re-opened is contingent upon when the fire is extinguished, he said.
By Wednesday night, all but 32 cars were removed by CSX, Mercsak said.
A source close to the investigation said the train originated in Chicago, and was "re-crewed" in Gary, Ind., at 10 a.m. Wednesday. Its final destination, the source said, was Selkirk, N.Y.
A CSX track welder working in the area at the time witnessed the incident, the source said.
FBI agents were on scene interviewing CSX and Federal Railroad Administration representatives, the source said.
Mercsak confirmed that FBI agents were on scene, but added they weren't able to investigate much because the fire hadn't yet been extinguished.
State and federal Environment Protection Agency representatives were on scene, taking random samplings to make certain the smoke plume was not toxic.
"At this point, the plume is smoke and nothing more," Mercsak said.
Area authorities evacuated a half-mile radius surrounding the derailment and Lubrizol evacuated nonessential employees, Marketing Communications Manager Dianne McDermott said.
A nearby business park also was evacuated, and SWAT team members went business-to-business and door-to-door asking those present to leave. Laketran buses arrived on scene to move people out of the area.
People were evacuated to the Central YMCA in Painesville, the Painesville City Senior Center and the Mentor Senior Center.
"The investigation will continue until (today)," Mercsak said. "No one will be allowed to return until then."
Later Wednesday night, CSX overtook all shelter operations, putting evacuees up in area hotels, said CSX Spokesperson Gary Sease.
Students at Painesville's Lathrop Elementary School were
evacuated to Chestnut Elementary as a precautionary measure, Painesville Schools spokeswoman Chris Hanahan said. Lathrop students will not attend school today.
Lake County Administrator Ken Gauntner said 30 of Lathrop's students would not be able to sleep at home Wednesday night.
Several roads were closed because of the derailment.
As of Wednesday night, the roads that remained closed were state Route 44 between state routes 84 and 2, Jackson Street between Route 44 and Palmer Road, Newell Street and all streets in Heisley Park, Mercsak said.
A portion of Route 2 had been closed Wednesday afternoon, but re-opened about 4:30 p.m.
Railroad tracks near those where the derailment occurred are still operating, and trains are passing by through the smoke and flames, officials said.
A source close to the investigation said Amtrak trains that use the affected railways would be detoured to nearby tracks, and that only minimal delays are expected.
Power was briefly cut to 1,100 customers in Painesville and Concord townships because of the crash, said Mark Durbin, a spokesman for FirstEnergy. Authorities were worried about the fire affecting active power lines, so there was a forced blackout for about nine minutes until concerns were allayed, Durbin said.
The National Transportation Safety Board has sent two investigators from Chicago to determine the cause of the derailment, LaTourette said.
However, they will not be able to do that until the fire is extinguished.
"Then the NTSB will determine if the tracks can open or under what conditions they can re-open," he said.
LaTourette said he did not anticipate the tracks re-opening for at least a couple of days.
The FRA also is sending an investigator to ascertain if the railway was compliant with regulations. The Federal Emergency Management Agency also was on scene, Mercsak said.
CSX regrets the inconvenience the derailment has caused some residents, Sease said.
"We'd like to express our apologies for the disruption of the communities, and we appreciate their patience," he said.
Anyone with questions is asked to call hotlines set up by the emergency operations center, which will be staffed 24 hours a day until the event is over, at (440) 918-5470 or (440) 918-5469. Anyone with questions for CSX's outreach center are asked to call (877) 835-5279 and follow the prompts.
SKlepach@News-Herald.com
JLea@News-Herald.com
MButz@News-Herald.com
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