APACHE COUNTY, Arizona — A freight train derailed Friday afternoon near Interstate 40 and caught fire, officials said. The interstate reopened Sunday afternoon.
Up to 35 rail cars were involved in the derailment, according to McKinley County Fire & Rescue. Six of those cars were carrying non-odorus propane.
Citizens in Apache County were advised to stay away from the area of on I-40 near the state line.
Crews battling the fire planned to extinguish it Saturday night, according to the Associated Press.
McKinley County Fire & Rescue Chief Lawrence Montoya Jr. told the AP the department is hoping to put the fire out before midnight Saturday and that any fuel that has not been burned off when the fire is extinguished will be contained.
The Navajo Police Department released drone footage of the derailment and the large number of first responders on scene.
The Apache County Sheriff's Office said I-40 eastbound has been shut down at the Arizona-New Mexico state line and traffic is being diverted to Navajo Route 12 toward Window Rock. Eastbound traffic is being diverted onto U.S. 191 at Chambers. Authorities say I-40 westbound has reopened as of Sunday morning.
On Friday night, the Navajo Police Department said Indian Route 118 north of I-40 is closed along with Lupton Road on the south side, Route 12 and County Road 1 in Tseyatoh, New Mexico. Exit 333 is open for detours to north and southbound Road 191.
The Arizona Department of Transportation said Saturday that the eastbound lanes of I-40 have been re-opened between mileposts 285 and 333. Milepost 285 is just west of Holbrook and milepost 333 is in Chambers.
Eastbound I-40 remains closed after milepost 333. The highway re-opens in New Mexico at milepost 16, just west of Gallup.
Evacuations have also been issued for about 40 people who live within one mile of the 1/2 mile marker of I-40 in New Mexico. A shelter has been set up at the Lupton Charter House for evacuees.
The Navajo Police Department is asking drivers in the area to use extreme caution on roads. Drivers should also know that roads could be slick and wet due to the weather.
The train was reportedly carrying gasoline and non-odor propane before it derailed. No injuries have been reported, according to New Mexico State Police.
Evacuations have been ordered for residences located within two miles from the half mile marker of Interstate 40 within New Mexico.
This is a developing story.
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