Railroad workers safely evacuated after a fast-moving wildfire surrounded their train in northern Ontario

By Chris Franklin | NJ.com

ARMSTRONG, Ontario — The ongoing wildfire in the Canadian province of Ontario endangered railroad workers, and it was all captured on video.

The workers were inside the engine of a CN Railroad train in Armstrong, Ontario, a town about 172 miles north of Lake Superior.

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In a video shared by CTV News, flames rapidly approached the stopped train. The fire spread quickly and approached the train, putting the employees in danger.

“This could potentially overtake us here,” an employee radioed in as the fire approached. “This is getting a little scary. Holy (bleep). Y’all need to hurry up here. Seriously, we’re encased now … This could potentially overtake us.”

The decision was made to evacuate the train, which the employees did safely.

“CN has temporarily suspended rail operations near Armstrong, ON as a precaution due to wildfire activity in the area,” CN said in a statement to CTV News. “As a safety measure, CN employees in the area and residents of the Town of Armstrong were evacuated overnight.”

The wildfire’s impact has extended far beyond Ontario. According to CNN, wind has carried smoke from the wildfire into the Midwestern United States, degrading air quality in cities such as Chicago.

The Air Quality Index lists Duluth, Minnesota, as a hazard, placing the city among the worst air quality locations in the world. The wildfire smoke will eventually spread to New England on Wednesday and Thursday.

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