HINTON -
An explosion on a grain train in Hinton Thursday morning caused the number two engine of the CSX line to catch fire.
Senior citizens from a senior center above the train depot reported the fire shortly after 9:30 a.m.
"I saw flames shooting up off the train and black smoke and it was scary looking," said Earl Vest of Hinton.
Around 15 firefighters were at the train depot ensuring no one got too close to the train, in case of an explosion.
While the cause of the fire is still unknown, chief firefighter Ray Pivont said an explosion came from the number two engine.
"The only thing we're doing is waiting for the excess fuel to burn off before the engine will shut down. They've got all the emergency shut offs off right now," said Pivont.
Since the train holds a great deal of fuel, firefighters were uncertain how long it would take before they could take on the flames.
"Diesel engines, it's electrical and we don't want to put any water or anything like that on it. It wouldn't do any good anyway," said Pivont.
No one was on the train or near the train when it caught fire.
"This is a grain train. There are no hazardous materials or anything like that involved," said Pivont.
After the gas burns out and firefighters are able to tame the flames, the train-line is expected to remain in running condition.
"The only thing is we've got all traffic stopped on the main line here. CSX is taking care of that," said Pivont.
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