CN Rail crews literally found themselves on the hot seat. at least this week 134 forest fire Fires are burning across northwestern Ontario. According to reports, when the train first stopped on the tracks it found itself surrounded by one of the cbc newsCapturing a dramatic video of the incident. The train appears to have stopped to allow an oncoming train to pass, which is done at the end of the video. Meanwhile, flames engulf the left side of the locomotive.
“It could potentially overtake us here. It’s got to be a little scary,” says the crew member who recorded the video at the turn of the century. As the fire spreads to the front of the train, he makes a radio call and says, “Okay, you all need to get here quickly, seriously. We’re now engulfed in flames.” Fortunately, the fire spread quickly and barely touched the locomotive, whose body and air conditioning saved the lives of the crew. Shortly afterwards an oncoming train passes, and the video ends with the crew presumably escaping.
CN Rail spokesperson said global news All the employees of the area were evacuated overnight on Monday.
“As a precaution, CN has temporarily suspended rail operations near Armstrong due to wildfire activity in the area. As a safety measure, CN employees in the area and residents of the City of Armstrong were evacuated overnight,” the spokesperson said in an email.
“CN is in close contact with the Ministry of Natural Resources and local authorities as the situation continues to evolve. The safety of our employees, community and emergency responders remains our top priority.”
too little too late
That’s all well and good, but why were these trains sent in these disastrous conditions in the first place? This is the question many people are asking, including Teamsters: :
Paul Boucher, president of the Teamsters Canadian Rail Conference, said, “We commend the courage and professionalism of our members who maintained their composure in a horrific situation. We are relieved that no one was hurt.” “But make no mistake, this incident should never have happened. CN should never have sent trains on those lines. The company knows exactly how bad the conditions are in that area. That fire has been raging for five weeks.”
Ontario Provincial Police told CBC News that three other trains carrying flammable and combustible materials were stranded near Collins First Nation, about 20 miles west of Armstrong, due to wildfires in the area. that whole community burned to the groundDue to which residents were forced to grab whatever they could find and flee by boat across Collins Lake.
Meanwhile, smoke from Ontario wildfires blankets Toronto worst air quality in the world. Yellow skies also cover the north central and northeastern US. But let me tell you again how greenhouse gases aren’t so bad after all.
