Rail cars carrying hazardous materials derailed in North Dakota on Friday and caught fire, the latest train derailment in the U.S. as concerns over railroads remain high.

Twenty-nine cars of a Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) train derailed around 3:45 a.m. in a marshy area surrounded by farmland that’s about 140 miles northwest of Fargo, according to Andrew Kirking, emergency management director for Foster County.

Video from the scene shows intense flames and thick black smoke rising high into the clear morning sky and the fire burned for at least 12 hours after the initial derailment. Kirking said it appeared that 10 to 15 of the rail cars caught fire.

70-CAR TRAIN DERAILS IN NORTH DAKOTA, SPILLS HAZARDOUS MATERIALS: OFFICIALS

By late afternoon Friday, responders were able to “go on the offensive” in fighting the flames and have had “some success knocking the fire down,” Kirking said. With water on both sides of the tracks, officials were still working to get equipment close enough.

There were no injuries reported – with the engineer and conductor getting away safely– and the threat to those living nearby appeared to be minimal.

It is unclear what caused the derailment. 

The cars were carrying anhydrous ammonia, sulfur and methanol, with ammonia posing the biggest risk, according to Bill Suess, spill investigation program manager for the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality. However, wind was carrying the smoke away from the nearby town of Bordulac, which has about 20 residents.

Exposure to high concentrations of ammonia in the air can cause burning of the eyes, nose, throat and respiratory tract, and can result in blindness, lung damage or death, health officials say. Exposure to lower amounts can result in coughing and irritation of the nose and throat.

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A Canadian Pacific Railway locomotive pulls a train in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, on Monday, March 22, 2021.  (Alex Ramadan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The National Transportation Safety Board said it is investigating the derailment, per a post on X. CPKC acquired Kansas City Southern for $31 billion in 2021, seeking to create a 20,000-mile rail network linking the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

CPKC said in a statement that it has “initiated its emergency response plan and launched a comprehensive, coordinated response.”

The incident marks the latest train derailment in the U.S. as concerns over railroads remain high.

A freight train derailed in Matteson, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, two weeks ago prompting some residents within a mile of the crash to evacuate their homes as officials examined a leaking train car that contained liquefied petroleum gas.

Train cars are piled up after a derailment on June 27, 2024, in Matteson, Ill. Emergency officials ordered an evacuation after a freight train derailed in suburban Chicago. (WLS via AP)

Last year, on March 26, a 70-car CPKC train hauling hazardous materials also derailed in North Dakota, about a mile southeast of Wyndmere in Richland County. No injuries were reported.

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Officials said 31 of the 70 cars derailed, some carrying hazardous materials, and crews identified a leak of liquid asphalt. No fires were caused by the derailment.

A month earlier, a Norfolk Southern freight train carrying 38 cars derailed in East Palestine, Ohio and spilled hydrogen chloride and phosgene into the air, forcing residents to evacuate.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

It’s always fun to see former Wolverine greats play professional ball in the state of Michigan, and fans in Ann Arbor and Detroit will get to see another one during the 2024-25 NBA season.

Former Michigan men’s basketball star Tim Hardaway Jr. will continue his career with the Detroit Pistons, who traded for the sharpshooting wing and three second-round draft picks from the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Quinten Grimes back on June 28.

On Saturday, the Pistons welcomed Hardaway Jr. home with a tribute video on social media. The former Wolverine can be seen arriving in a maize and blue No. 2 jersey, which appears to be an homage to Michigan legendary cornerback Charles Woodson (though it could represent current Wolverine star Will Johnson as well).

At Michigan, Hardaway Jr. is best known as the running mate of fellow backcourt star Trey Burke, who led the Wolverines to the 2013 Final Four and national championship game. That season, Hardaway Jr. averaged 14.5 points per game while shooting 43.7% from the field and 37.4% from the 3-point line. He added 4.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game as well, in a season in which he was named first team All-Big Ten by the conference’s coaches and second team All-Big Ten by the media.

During his career at Michigan, Hardaway Jr. scored 1,532 points (14.3 per game), grabbed 440 rebounds (4.1 per game), handed out 225 assists (2.1 per game) and added 76 steals (0.7 per game) and 33 blocked shots. He was a unanimous third team All-Big Ten selection as a sophomore in 2011-12, and earned honorable mention All-Big Ten as a freshman the season prior. Hardaway Jr. was a unanimous Big Ten All-Freshman team selection in 2010-11, a season in which he set Michigan’s freshman single-season record for 3-pointers made with 76. That record was later broken by Nik Stauskas in 2012-13.

Hardaway Jr. is one of the most beloved Michigan players of the past 15 years. Not only did he help the Wolverines to a national runner-up finish and the program’s first Final Four since the days of the Fab Five in his final season in Ann Arbor, Hardaway Jr. and Burke led Michigan to a share of a Big Ten regular season championship the year prior. The three-year Wolverine dazzled fans with his shooting ability, but brought the Crisler Center crowd to its feet with several highlight-reel dunks during his career.

During his 12-year NBA career, Hardaway Jr. has averaged 14 points per game while shooting 41.8% from the field, 36% from the 3-point line and 81.2% from the free throw line. The 6-foot-5, 205-pounder adds 2.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

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It’s Monday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by clicking here at least two weeks in advance.

The Milwaukee Police Department District 7 will hold its monthly crime and safety meeting from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Monday, July 8 at 8424 W. Center St. Several topics will be discussed, including crime statistics, traffic stops and more. More information here. 

VIA Community Development Corp. will hold a neighborhood meeting from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 9 at 3730 W. National Ave. The meeting will focus on the reconstruction of West National Avenue. Click here to register.  More information here.

The African American Roundtable invites young people, ages 13 to 24, for a day filled with activities and conversations. The Youth Hangout will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, July 10 at Uihlein Soccer Park, 7101 Good Hope Road. Lunch will be provided. Click here to register. More information here.

Kids, from newborn to 6, can come to Alice’s Garden Urban Farm to spend the morning learning shapes, numbers and more in the garden. Drop-in hours are from 9:30 a.m. to  11:30 a.m. on Thursday, July 11 at 2136 N. 21st St. More information here.

Sixteenth Street Community Wellness and Wehr Nature Center are partnering to lead a forest bathing.  Individuals, 14 and up, will spend time connecting with nature in a therapeutic way. The event will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 11 at Jackson Park, 3500 W. Forest Home Ave. Click here to register. More information here.

Amani United will hold its first Saturday meeting at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 13, due to the Fourth of July holiday weekend. The meeting will take place at the Dominican Center, 2470 W. Locust St. Click here to join virtually, or watch at www.amaniunited.org. More information here.

Young people, ages 6-17, can receive free meals at over a dozen Milwaukee Recreation summer playground locations. Milwaukee Rec staff will serve two free meals to youth every weekday through Aug. 16.  Click here to see a list of playground locations and free meal times at each site. More information here.