Is the air safe? Dunnellon residents are wary after chemically treated rail ties ignite

MARION COUNTY, Fla. - Though the mayor of Dunnellon said there are no air quality issues after chemically treated railroad ties caught fire Sunday morning, residents remain concerned about breathing in the air. 

Stockpile of treated railroad ties burn in Dunnellon, Florida. Credit: Marion County Fire Rescue

What we know:

A large stockpile of chemically-treated railroad ties caught fire on Sunday morning, Feb. 1, near E. McKinney Street and North Williams Street, sending huge plumes of potentially irritating smoke into the air.

The ties were treated with creosote – an industrial wood preservative – it can produce heavy, irritating smoke and can release toxins into the air, officials said. Due to this, the fire is also being treated as a potential environmental and public health incident due to toxic smoke and contamination risks, Congressman J.J. Grow said in a released statement. 

Dunnellon Mayor Walter Green told residents that no hazardous air conditions were identified, but people could still be bothered by the smoke.

Dunnellon resident Maisie Grayson, who lives down the road from where the fire took place, said she's hesitant to take that risk. In fact, a notice from her daughter's school said students would be kept indoors for the time being. 

"I didn't want her lungs to be breathing in whatever toxic chemical was being burned," Grayson told FOX 35's Marie Edinger. 

Who was involved in the fire? 

The backstory:

CSX Transportation owns the parcel of land on which the chemically treated railroad ties were stored.

In a statement to FOX 35, CSX Transportation said it was made aware of the fire and was onsite to assist.

"The primary focus is on the health and safety of onsite personnel, the surrounding community, and the environment, "CSX Transporation said. "The cause of the fire is being investigated by state and local officials." CSX is cooperating with state officials in the investigation, the city said. 

Approximately 16,500 rail ties were transported out of the city and CSX is working to ensure the prompt removal, the city said. 

FOX 35's Marie Edinger reported that though CSX owns the land, Track Line owns the rail ties that caught fire. The city of Dunnellon sent code violations to both companies, demanding the ties be removed, the city said. The removal project was 20% complete when the ties caught fire, Edinger said. 

A determination about creosote treated rail ties in Marion County. 

Who is Track Line? 

Track Line Rail, who owns the treated rail ties that caught fire, is a railroad supplier. 

Track Line's services include railroad tie pickup, pickup and disposal of OTM, sustainable tie disposal, rail switching services and more. 

When Track Line applied for a permit with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to shred and grind their rail ties, people wrote to the FDEP arguing, "Fires fueled by creosote railroad ties are notoriously difficult to control … and produce toxic plumes of carcinogenic smoke," Edinger reported. 

The Dunnellon City Council sent in letters asking the FDEP not to issue the permit too, but they did anyway.

Track Line is supposed to appear before a special magistrate a week from today. 

What's next:

The State is taking over the investigation due to the size and the total economic impact of the fire as well as the possibility for environmental impact, Marion County Fire Rescue said. 

FOX 35 has contacted the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, who is looking into the cause of the fire.