A train car carrying wood chips caught fire on Monday, Sept. 26, and the engineer didn’t notice until an alert resident notified police, who contacted Consolidated Fire.
The Santa Fe train was traveling on the tracks next to Howe Road and Old Orchard Drive when the engineer was advised to stop so Con Fire crews could put out the fire.
The rail car full of burning wood chips was next to a tanker car that normally carries a flammable material, though it was unknown if the tanker was loaded or not at the time of the fire.
Con Fire crews put out the fire, which was first reported around 12:10 p.m., while Martinez police blocked off a portion of Howe Road. No injuries or damages were reported from the blaze, and the cause is still under investigation.
