WASHINGTON (AP) The fire chief of Casselton says "about everything went right'' with his force's response to a fiery train derailment because they had properly planned for disasters.
Fire Chief Tim McLean says the Dec. 30 derailment could have been a deadly incident and credits training and federal financial support. He spoke to a Senate subcommittee on Tuesday at the invitation of Sen. Heidi Heitkamp.
An oil train collided with a grain car outside of Casselton on Dec. 30 sparking explosions and a smoke plume that hung over the town of about 2,400 residents. There were no injuries, but about 1,400 people voluntarily evacuated.
Many have since expressed concerns about shipping oil by rail and what would happen if an accident occurred in a more populated area.