Huge Train Accident East of Bridger Spills 31,000 Gallons of Gas

A train derailment on Friday just outside of Bridger, Montana caused a massive gasoline spill that is still currently being cleaned up. Luckily, nobody was injured either on the train or on the road, but the accident caused a closure of East Bridger Road and wasn't fully responded to until the next morning.

The Accident Occurred at Around 11:30 p.m. on October 1st

A total of 15 train cars derailed near the railroad crossing of East Bridger Road/South River Road and Rushwater Road. At first, the extent of the damage was not known, so for safety, officials issued a notice to evacuate the area if you lived there. It turned out that these train cars were carrying animal fat, sorghum, coal, gasoline, and other products.

The gasoline the train was carrying was the biggest concern, as officials reported that an estimated 31,000 gallons of gasoline had spilled from a damaged car and contaminated the surrounding area. Responders put up a barrier with a 500-foot radius around the area to prevent the gasoline from contaminating more land. Luckily, it was reported that no groundwater or animals were affected by this spill.

The Cleanup is Still Underway as of October 3rd

The majority of the cleanup was completed on Sunday (10/02), and currently, hazmat teams are on site working on the spill. The cause of the accident is still being investigated, and East Bridger Road was reopened, while South River Road is still closed while they are continuing work. The work is expected to fully finish this week.

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If you have any photos of the damage, please post them under this article on our Facebook page. We're just happy that nobody was hurt when this accident occurred.