Freight Train Derailment in Arizona Sparks Fire, Bridge Partially Collapses

A freight train derailed in Arizona and sparked a fire, along with a partial bridge collapse. According to the Daily Mail, the incident happened in Tempe, over Tempe Beach Park. FOX 10 from Phoenix has said no injuries have been reported as of yet. The outlet also reported due to the derailment, the City of Tempe has canceled all boating activities and classes. The fire sparked by the derailment has reportedly has a significant impact on traffic in the city, with many having to be rerouted while firefighters and other authorities get the situation under control.

CBS 5 reports that the train derailment happened just after 6 a.m. local time and that the smoke caused by the fire could be seen for many miles. Arizona resident Camille Kimball spoke with the outlet, tell them that she had been riding her bike underneath the bridge just before the accident. “I turned around to look and got the fright of my life,” she said. “Now there’s fire pouring into the lake from the middle of the bridge. It looks like a scene from hell, truly. A scene from hell. The flames are intense and the sky is filled with black smoke.” She also described the experience as very “surreal.”

Another eyewitness, Bruce Haffner, described what he saw as “unbelievable.” He added: “It’s such a catastrophe.” Haffner also stated that helicopters were flying in to help fight the blaze. He also stated that air traffic controllers from Sky Harbor International Airport were having planes take off to the north, to help them avoid the massive clouds of smoke from the fire.

The Temp Police Department has since issued a public warning about the incident. “[Tempe Police] and Tempe Fire are on the scene of a train derailment and large fire over Tempe Town Lake,” the Tempe PD tweeted. “Several roads are restricted near Tempe Town Lake and west of downtown Tempe. Please avoid the area.” They added that “for safety measures, all of Tempe Town Lake is closed until further notice.” The police also shared some photos of the blaze on the bridge, and explained, “Multiple agencies are hard at work battling this 2nd alarm fire. Additional road closures are now in place including 202 from 101 to the SR143.”