A train hauling more than 100 cars filled with crude oil derailed in a rural part of Illinois Thursday afternoon and burst into flames, the Associated Press reported.
The explosion prompted local authorities to evacuate an area of within about one mile, though not many people were affected, the AP reported.
The crash occurred about 1:20 p.m. about three miles from Galena, a city in northern Illinois with fewer than 4,000 residents.
Galena Assistant Fire Chief Bob Conley told the AP the area was accessible only by a bike path, and firefighters had to pull back and allow the fire to burn itself out.
The train was pulling 103 cars loaded with crude oil and two buffer cars with sand. The cause of the derailment was not immediately known.
Firefighters and hazardous material responders were at the scene of the fire.
In a written statement, the Federal Railroad Administration said it would conduct an investigation once the area was contained and secured.
