- Locomotive caught in wildfires near Armstrong, Ontario amid extreme heatwave
- Crew feared entrapment; urgent evacuation called during fire emergency
- Three trains carrying flammable materials halted by Canadian National Rail
Dramatic footage showing a locomotive surrounded by wildfires has gone viral as record-breaking heat and dry conditions sweep across northern Ontario and parts of the United States, the New York Post reported. The terrifying video, shared by Ontario lawmaker Sol Mamakwa, was filmed from inside a freight train cab near Armstrong, Ontario, with crew members worrying they could be trapped inside it.
In the clip, bright orange flames lick both sides of the tracks as thick smoke turns the sky into a terrifying furnace. On the radio, one crew member calls for an urgent evacuation.
"This could potentially overtake us here, this has gotten a little scary," one worker told the operator.
"Y'all need to hurry up here. Seriously. We're encased in flames. This has got to move f**king quick."
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See the post here:
Canadian National (CN) Rail confirmed that three trains carrying flammable materials were halted in the Armstrong area due to the fires.
Fortunately, the crew members made a narrow escape, and all employees in the area have since been safely evacuated and relocated.
CN Rail has temporarily suspended all operations in the affected region.
Additionally, the Ontario Provincial Police advised that trains carrying combustible cargo have been safely staged in the Allanwater Subdivision near Collins to prevent further disaster.
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Record-smashing heatwave sparks blazes
According to the news agency AFP, the incident comes amidst a historic, brutal heat dome stretching from the Mountain West of the US up into Canada, placing over 100 million people under extreme heat alerts.
The intense heatwave has already shattered all-time local temperature records, including Billings, Montana and Salt Lake City, Utah.
These scorching conditions continue to fuel severe wildfires throughout southwestern Ontario and northern Minnesota.
