Canadian Rail Union Demands Answers After Train Crew Was Sent Into Raging Wildfire

A union representing Canadian rail workers is demanding to know why a train crew was sent into the middle of a raging wildfire, one of dozens that have left clouds of smoke blocking out the sun across much of Ontario and the northeastern United States since Wednesday.A viral video called public attention to the incident, in which the rail crew are heard voicing growing alarm as the flames rage on either side of their cabin while the train, operated by Canadian National Railways, sits stationary at a location about 125 miles north of Lake Superior.“We know that CN has some sort of system in place to monitor the conditions around the railroads. But what happened that day?” asked the Teamsters Union director of communications, Marc-Andre Gauthier, in remarks to the Canadian Press wire agency.The agency said Mr. Gauthier accused the company of knowingly sending workers into the fire and endangering their lives, adding that the union is trying to get the bottom of that decision.The railway, a former crown corporation that was privatized in 1995, confirmed in a statement late Wednesday that the crew members had been safely evacuated from the train along with residents of the nearby town of Armstrong, Ontario. The union said the crew members were treated for smoke inhalation.In the video, one of the crew members is heard saying as flames rage around them, “This could potentially overtake us here, this has gotten a little scary.” Another voice, apparently speaking to dispatchers, says, “You all need to hurry up here, like seriously. We are encased in flames now.”International news organizations tracking usage on social media say more than 200 million people viewed the video within 24 hours after it was posted.Transport Canada, the federal agency responsible for overseeing rail traffic, has said it “will continue to assess the circumstances surrounding the incident and take any appropriate action under the law to help ensure the continued safe transportation of dangerous goods,” according to Canada’s CTV television network.The spokesman was quoted as adding that the agency is monitoring the overall wildfire situation closely, and that it “will not hesitate” to impose restrictions and protective measures if necessary.The Armstrong fire is one of more than 100 active wildfires raging across Northern Ontario, fed by high winds and dry conditions. Smoke from the fires has been drifting to the southeast, obstructing visibility and turning the sky to an eerie orange color across a swath of land stretching from Toronto to New York City.

Canadian Rail Union Demands Answers After Train Crew Was Sent Into Raging Wildfire

Canadian Rail Union Demands Answers After Train Crew Was Sent Into Raging Wildfire

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