Truck hits train, tankers catch fire on Columbia River

A truck driver died after colliding with a train, which set off a series of tanker fires that shut down Portland’s St. Johns Bridge and a section of Hwy 30 on Sunday morning.

A massive plume of smoke was seen for miles after the crash around 8:45 a.m. The fire quickly escalated to a 3-alarm blaze and numerous PF&R personnel responded.

Portland Fire spokesman Terry Foster said 8 train cars were damaged in the Sunday morning blaze, one severely. The rail cars contained asphalt.

BNSF spokesman Gus Melonas says the railways main lines were not impacted.

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