×

Fire at Wisconsin railroad tie recycling facility

TOWN OF CAMPBELL, Wis. (AP) — Firefighters spent all day Tuesday battling a blaze at a railroad tie recycling facility in western Wisconsin.

The fire broke out early Tuesday morning at Omaha Track in the town of Campbell on French Island, just outside La Crosse, multiple media outlets reported. The facility grinds up scrap railway ties and materials into chips that can be used as biofuel.

Flames and smoke could be seen for miles. Multiple departments were still fighting the blaze Tuesday afternoon, WXOW-TV reported.

No injuries had been reported. The cause of the fire is unclear. An email The Associated Press sent to Omaha Track Chief Growth Officer Lisa Roberts seeking comment wasn’t immediately returned. Roberts is listed as the contact for the Campbell facility on the company’s website.

A similar fire erupted there in 2015 after a woodchipper caught fire, WKBT-TV reported. That blaze released toxins into the air that forced residents to shelter in place.

Starting at $2.99/week.

Subscribe Today