A harrowing scene unfolded Tuesday near Armstrong, Ontario, as a Canadian National Railway freight train became surrounded by raging wildfires. Video captured by a crew member showed intense flames licking the sides of the train, with one worker expressing fears of being trapped in the inferno.
"This could potentially overtake us here, this has gotten a little scary," one worker relayed to their operator, according to footage shared by Ontario lawmaker Sol Mamakwa. The same worker urged for speed, stating, "Y’all need to hurry up here. Seriously. We’re encased in flames."
Canadian National Railway confirmed that three trains transporting flammable materials were stopped in the Armstrong area. Crews were subsequently evacuated from the trains. The fires turned the sky orange around the stranded locomotives.
The wildfires affecting western Ontario are now raising concerns about smoke plumes drifting toward the Great Lakes region and the northeastern United States. Meteorologists have warned that smoke concentrations could reach cities such as Boston, New York City, and Philadelphia by Wednesday night, potentially mirroring the dense smoke that blanketed the New York metropolitan area in June 2023.