MOSIER, Ore. — A train towing cars full of oil derailed in Oregon’s Columbia River Gorge, sparking a fire and forcing the closure of Interstate 84 Friday afternoon.
Emergency crews were first called to reports of the derailment in the Mosier area around 12:30 p.m.
Ken Armstrong, spokesman for the Oregon Department of Forestry, says the incident involves eight cars filled with oil and one is burning.
The Oregon Department of Transportation shut down I-84 around 1 p.m. as black smoke billowed into the sky.
Everyone within a half-mile was evacuated, including a nearby charter school.
There were no immediate reports of injuries, KPTV reports.
The train was operated by Union Pacific. A spokesman for the railroad didn’t immediately return calls.
Mosier is about 70 miles east of Portland.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
