BNSF Train Derails Hitting Purina Pet Food Plant in Hager City WI

September 13th, 2010 |

Hager City, WI – A northbound BNSF (Burlington Northern Santa Fe) freight train carrying consumer items from Chicago to Seattle derailed near the Purina pet food plant in Hager City, WI on Monday, September 13, 2010 at about 7:20 a.m.

BNSF train derails in Hager City, WI near the Ralston Purina processing facility on Monday, September 13, 2010. Photo credit RiverTowns.net.

Hager City is in Pierce County, Wisconsin in the eastern part of the state about 51 miles southeast of Minneapolis, MN and about 73 miles southwest of Eau Claire, WI.

The derailment occurred near the Ralston Purina processing facility at N1725 805th St. which lies next to the tracks north of U.S. Route 63 and west of Wisconsin Highway 35. There were 72 cars on the train.

Reports vary in the number of rail cars that derailed. BNSF officials say only 9 cars derailed but a local news helicopter (Chopper 5) says that there were at least 30 derailed cars.

Officials from BNSF state that 9 derailed cars were carrying 62 containers that were knocked over in the mishap.

Location of the BNSF train derailment in front of the Ralston Purina plant in Hager City, WI.

Some of the rail cars struck the Ralston Purina plant in the incident, but there was only minimal damage to the siding of the building. Thirty Ralston Purina employees were temporarily evacuated and the plant was closed for the day as a result of the mishap.

According to BNSF, one container was carrying hazardous material but fortunately, no hazardous materials were released and no one was injured in the incident.

Pierce County Sheriff Nancy Hove said that none of the derailed cars were carrying hazardous materials, but some homes in the area were evacuated as a precaution.

The Pierce County Highway Department closed County Road VV. The CTH (County Trunk Highway) VV bridge was also closed because one of the derailed freight cars struck the bridge overpass and was pinned underneath it. The bridge was not damaged as a result of the derailment and Highway officials at the scene estimated that the bridge would remain closed all day Monday.

Officials state that the derailment had no effect on Amtrak lines because it runs through the area on a different track.

Officials from BNSF were at the scene along with an investigative team from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), local fire departments and the State Patrol.

The cleanup is expected to take up to 24 hours and the railroad company states that there will be a full investigation into the incident.

Published by FELA lawyer Gordon, Elias & Seely, LLP