Emergency workers in Kentucky are increasingly confident that fire crews have contained a multi-day blaze spewing flames and smoke from a derailed tanker car. The blaze began Wednesday afternoon, and authorities initially thought it would last no longer than a couple hours. They were still waiting for it to die out late last night, acknowledging they were unsure how much butadiene was left in the burning railcar to fuel the flames.
Meanwhile, crews have been focusing on untangling other stricken rail cars loaded with toxic chemicals nearby. Hundreds of people remained out of their homes yesterday, including the entire town of West Point and some people from nearby Louisville. The burning butadiene, a chemical commonly found in rubber used to make tires, can damage the central nervous system and reproductive system.
