A CSX freight train carrying chemicals derailed and caught fire in Livingston, Kentucky Wednesday night, forcing residents to flee their homes during the Thanksgiving holiday.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear (D) issued an executive order on Thursday declaring a state of emergency.
The train company has pledged to pay for hotel rooms, Thanksgiving meals and other expenses incurred by those forced to flee their homes.
Crews worked through the night to put the fire out, working into Thursday afternoon. Late Thursday night, officials announced that the fire had been put out and families could return to their homes but earlier in the day, when Thanksgiving festivities typically begin, the fire was still burning.
US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials say they tested the air quality in the surrounding areas on Wednesday night and saw an uptick in sulfur dioxide in the air, but that it decreased to acceptable levels after the fire was extinguished.
Sulfur dioxide is released when molten sulfur is burned. According to the EPA, short-term exposure can cause difficulty breathing, especially among children and asthmatics. Chronic exposure can cause significant health problems.
“The cause of the incident is still under investigation,” CSX said in a statement. “CSX is still supplying food, lodging and other necessities to affected community members.”
The accident also shut down Highway US 25 in both directions. Officials have not provided a timeline on when it will reopen.
In February, a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous materials derailed and caught fire in East Palestine, Ohio, and was eventually destroyed in a controlled explosion that released chemicals in the air and water. Six months later, residents were still complaining about health issues they believed to be related to the accident.