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American Morning

Baltimore Works to Control Train Fire

Aired July 19, 2001 - 10:10   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Rounding out our coverage this morning of trains, planes and automobiles: Downtown Baltimore appears to be train accident -- normalcy today on this morning after a train fire. The freight train and its cargo of hazardous materials caught fire inside a tunnel yesterday.

And CNN's Elaine Quijano joins us now from Baltimore with the latest on the accident and its aftermath -- Elaine.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Leon, things are just now returning to normal here in the city of Baltimore. If you take a look behind me, all you see are just some thin wisps of smoke. That is because railroad officials now say that fire officials have this fire contained, and that right now it is only smoldering. Originally it was a much different scene here, though, yesterday afternoon just after 3:00, when the CSX freight train here caught fire somehow.

Firefighters battled this blaze through the night, working feverishly and cautiously to try and reach this burning CSX train. Thick smoke and the threat of potentially dangerous chemical fumes made their job difficult. And just a short time ago the mayor of Baltimore said that the city was getting a handle on the situation, but that firefighters are having a tough time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR MARTIN O'MALLEY, BALTIMORE, MARYLAND: Well, controlled; but it is contained. I mean, in a sense it's in the middle of a long tunnel. So we've got it contained, but what we haven't been able to do yet is get to the real source of the fire. It seems that the smoke has died down a little bit, but obviously there's still some...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUIJANO: Now, CSX railroad officials say that the train was carrying a variety of chemicals, including hydrochloric acid. And that is a corrosive substance that can cause irritation to your skin, eyes and even, for some people, some breathing problems.

The good news, according to the mayor, is that none of those toxic substances have been found here in the air. That is certainly good news for the people here. Many residents forced to stay inside yesterday as all of this was going on. Even, at one point, having to evacuate the nearby Camden Yards as folks were getting ready for an evening Orioles game.

Right now, though, as I said, things just beginning to return to normal. Firefighters, though, do have their work cut out for them. This fire is still smoldering -- Leon.

HARRIS: Yes, I can tell. We can see smoke billowing out behind the -- from the trees behind you there, Elaine. Can you give us an idea of just how close the closest residents were to this fire? It looks like they had a building behind you that wasn't very far away from it.

QUIJANO: Right. If you take a look, it's really surrounded by buildings here. Those apartment buildings, condo homes in the direct path of the way that the wind is blowing here. Those folks were urged yesterday and today to stay inside and to turn off their ventilation systems because, as I said, this hydrochloric acid -- while they did not find traces of some toxic substance in the air, they are very concerned that folks with respiratory problems, previously-existing medical problems, could have difficulty if they come in contact with any of the substances -- Leon.

HARRIS: OK, well you're out there in the middle of it. Before we let you go, you've got to tell me right now: What's it smell like?

Can you hear me Elaine? I guess not; Elaine's earpiece is gone, so let's let her go and get back to work. Thanks much, Elaine Quijano there in downtown Baltimore.

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