Residents return home after train derailment prompts evacuations in northern Minnesota

A train derailment involving more than 40 rail cars in Roseau County, Minnesota, Saturday morning prompted evacuations, according to the sheriff’s office.

The Canadian National train derailment occurred north of Warroad around 4:50 a.m. The sheriff’s office said 42 rail cars were derailed, two of which are classified as “hazardous goods,” a designation that the Federal Railroad Administration says includes energy products, chemicals, hazardous wastes and radioactive materials.

“No leaks, injuries or fires have been reported and no impacts to the crossings,” a CN spokesperson said in an email to Sheriff Steve Gust.

Hazardous materials crews were checking for leaks and monitoring the air at the scene Saturday afternoon, the sheriff’s office said. According to authorities, there are no environmental concerns.

First responders and CN employees were working to clear and clean the scene, which officials said could take two to three days.

CN said the cause of the derailment was under investigation.

“There was a derailment near you, and possibly an evacuation,” Jim Kindrick said as he read an alert on his phone. “I’m like, oh, my God. So I went out and saw the train was stopped right in front of the house.”

Law enforcement asked area families, like the Kindricks, to evacuate as a precaution while emergency services worked in the area. They spent the night in a hotel and were able to return home the next day.

On Sunday, the sheriff’s office confirmed there were no environmental issues. Crews with heavy equipment are working to straighten derailed rail cars and repair the damage, which county officials say could continue for a few weeks.

A Canadian National Railway spokesperson said crews worked through the night to get trains running again in the area, adding that the cause of the derailment was still under investigation.

“A lot of people contributed,” Kindrick said, grateful to the teams who quickly mobilized. “When you live in a small town and there’s a volunteer fire department…I know those guys were there all day.”