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The Rural Maine Reporting Project is made possible through the generous support of the Betterment Fund.

Officials say train derailment and fire near Brassua Lake are contained

A flaming train derailment north of Rockwood on Saturday.
Rockwood Fire & Rescue
A train derailment in northern Somerset County on Saturday.

Emergency responders on the scene of a train derailment in northern Somerset County near Brassua Lake say there is no threat to public health or safety, though the public is being asked to avoid the area.

Brassua Lake is roughly three miles west of Moosehead Lake, near Rockwood.

According to a press release from the Maine Forest Service, a Canadian Pacific freight train derailed about 8:30 a.m. Saturday. Three locomotive engines and six rail cars carrying lumber and electrical wiring derailed and started a small forest fire which has since been contained.

Additional rail cars transporting hazardous materials were not affected and officials say they are not at risk of leaking and are not at risk of catching fire.

Three railroad employees were sent to the hospital for injuries that weren't considered life threatening. According to the release, the derailment may have been caused by a buildup of melting ice and debris on the railroad tracks.

The Maine Forest Service, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, local emergency responders and a Canadian Pacific operations team remain on site.