Oil train fire puts spotlight on safety issues
Hazardous material is transported on railways across the country on a daily basis, including Oregon tracks that run right through downtown Bend.
A recent survey says only 19 percent of Oregon’s fire departments are ready for a major oil spill. Legislation and local law enforcement are getting their hands dirty to keep Oregonians safe.
Officials want to make sure something like this week’s fiery disaster in West Virginia doesn’t happen on the High Desert.
“There have been some pretty high-profile incidents around the county,” Sgt. Nathan Garibay, Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office emergency manager, said Tuesday.
Fiery crashes in Canada, West Virginia and Alabama are recent examples.
BNSF Railways says up to three trains carrying crude oil can come through Central Oregon in one week.
“There’s many, many cars involved, and each car holds several thousand gallons,” Garibay said.
Train derailments are extremely uncommon here because of the flat, straight landscape of the track in most locations. However, that terrain also takes these trains through highly populated or environmentally sensitive areas.
“They don’t happen as often as you think but they do happen and they can happen,” Garibay said.
Experts say crude oil trains are taking a heavier load than past years. Longer trains could be a reason there have been a higher number of crashes since 2013. The Deschutes Co. Sheriff’s department, Bend Fire, public works and many more agencies are working together to revitalize a disaster plan and train for the worst.
“There is not a department in the state that can really handle, I mean actually put out on of those oil fires,” said Bend Fire Bartallion Chief Dave Howe.
That’s news Central Oregonians probably don’t want to hear. Bend fire officials say the goal is not to put out a fire caused by an oil spill, but to manage it, keeping it away from people and water sources.
“Really, it’s a matter of, you might only have minutes to get out,” Garibay said.
If such a disaster should happen on the High Desert, preparedness is key, for officials and residents.
“It’s probably a lesser loss to let it burn,” Howe said.
