A weekend train derailment near Keene has the Federal Railway Administration, a sub-division of the federal Department of Transportation, investigating a cause for the accident.

The Feb. 20 accident involved a Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway 64-car freight train on Union Pacific tracks. Aaron Hunt, Director of Corporate Relations and Media for Union Pacific’s western region, stated that Union Pacific had no stance on the accident that occurred on their tracks.

“Union Pacific has no comment on the accident of Feb. 20,” he said. “It was not a Union Pacific train, so the company has no comment regarding this incident.”

Two cars were fully engulfed in flames, according to the Kern County Fire Department public information officer Sean Collins.

“One car had denatured alcohol in it which, because of safety reasons, we’re allowing to burn itself out,” said Collins. “We’re concerned about the safety of our firefighter personnel and possibly breathing in the toxic fumes.”

Dr. Kenward Vaughan, department chair of the physical sciences department at Bakersfield College, spoke about the dangers of smoke from burning denatured alcohol.

“Denatured alcohol, or ethyl alcohol as it’s also known, has poisonous additives in it to keep people from drinking it,” he said. “They created the one mile evacuation ring because it would give the fumes a chance to disperse so, theoretically, people won’t get sick.”

The second car, which had a cargo of plastics, caused the one mile evacuation to be extended to two miles because of the toxic fumes and the danger to surrounding communities.

Lena Kent, director of public affairs for BNSF, said in a telephone interview that finding a cause will take time.

“Every derailment is unique and is very situational. Finding a cause could take months,” she said. “Because of the fire, there was definitely damage to the track. However, we anticipate reopening the line by midnight tonight. Union Pacific crews are making the necessary repairs.”