Spontaneous Combustion Considered in Arkansas Railcar Fire

Fire investigators say spontaneous combustion may be the cause of a railcar fire in southwestern Arkansas.

De Queen and Gillham fire departments responded Sunday to a fire on a Kansas City Southern Railway train. The railcar was moved to a siding, where it flared up on Tuesday, forcing firefighters to return to the scene.

De Queen Fire Chief Dennis Pruitt told the Texarkana Gazette the car was loaded with outdated food and the fire seems to have started spontaneously.

The chief says firefighters saw a lot of bread, doughnuts and potato chips amid the flames and water. It took 6,000 gallons of water and foam to put out the blaze.