THE BURNED OVER DISTRICT

Just under a year ago there was a train derailment in Casselton, N.D. The resulting fire led to the temporary evacuation of half the town. On Thursday there was another derailment in Casselton, a mile from the first on and right next door to the local ethanol plant.

Unlike the Dec. 30 derailment, Thursday’s mishap didn’t ignite a huge fireball or lead to the evacuation of half the town. This time, the oil train was empty.

“Fortunately, this one here turned out better than last year’s,” said Casselton Fire Chief Tim McLean, who’s testified before Congress this year, at a news conference Thursday.

Still, the derailment of two trains about a mile from December’s accident site angered local officials and drew the attention of federal regulators who have spent more than a year working with the rail industry to improve the safety of crude oil shipments.

“We deserve some answers and I don’t think any of us want to hear anymore that this is a coincidence,” Cass County Sheriff Paul Laney said Thursday night.

No one was injured in Thursday’s incident, when a freight train derailed into the path of the empty crude oil train on an adjacent track near an ethanol plant.

“We got lucky this time, the fact that these cars were empty. They derailed right next to the ethanol plant,” Laney said. “What if they had been full?”

Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., said in a statement Friday that luck wasn’t good enough.

“We saw what happened in Casselton almost a year ago and yesterday’s incident is disappointing,” she said.

BNSF Railway said Friday in a statement that a broken rail appears to have caused the latest derailment. The track is inspected regularly according to federal standards, the railroad said, and a visual inspection of the track on Wednesday revealed no defects.

Good fortune, grace of god, call it what you will, Casselton caught a lucky break this week.