A Union Pacific Railroad train has derailed two miles east of Gordon, Texas.

Emergency crews are responding to a train derailment on Aug. 12 in north central Texas that left multiple cars carrying possible hazardous materials off the track and ignited grass fires in the area, officials said.

The incident occurred at around 2 p.m. local time over a railroad bridge on Coalville Road, about two miles east of Gordon, a small city roughly 71 miles west of Fort Worth. The derailment involved about 35 Union Pacific Railroad train cars, the company told USA TODAY.

Emergency crews, including Union Pacific hazmat personnel and the Palo Pinto Fire Department, were at the scene, according to Palo Pinto County emergency services. Officials confirmed that there were no hazardous material leaks in the area, and Union Pacific said cleanup efforts were underway.

"All personnel have been accounted for, and no injuries have been reported," Palo Pinto County emergency services said in a statement on social media. "The situation is currently stable, but not yet fully controlled."

Fire crews were responding to small grass fires sparked by the derailment, according to Palo Pinto County emergency services. No structures were threatened and no evacuations were ordered, officials said.

By 9 p.m. local time, officials said crews were still at the scene working to extinguish the fires. Personnel from Union Pacific were also at the scene with equipment and cranes preparing to move the train cars off the track, according to Palo Pinto County emergency services.

Footage from local television stations showed mangled train cars with some piled on top of each other, and heavy smoke over the area.

Officials haven't said what the train cars were carrying. But earlier on Aug. 12, authorities urged residents to avoid the area as first responders investigated a "potentially hazardous situation."

The incident is under investigation, according to Union Pacific.

"This will be an active scene for several days," Palo Pinto County emergency services said in an update.

How common are train derailments?

Though train derailments are already common in the United States, a string of high-profile incidents in 2023 renewed scrutiny over railroad operations and safety, including the fiery East Palestine, Ohio, derailment in which hazardous chemicals were leaked and then burned for days.

Federal data from 2021 and 2022 showed that an average of about three trains derail in the United States each day. Most derailments occur in freight yards because train cars are often switched between tracks, experts previously told USA TODAY.

According to the Association of American Railroads, an industry trade group, about 74% of derailments in 2024 occurred in low-speed rail yards, where the average train speed is about 5 mph. The group noted that the majority of derailments do not happen on mainline tracks that run across the country.

Citing data from the Federal Railroad Administration, the Association of American Railroads said there were 793 large freight railroad derailments in 2024. Of those incidents, about 26% were on the mainline tracks, including five derailments that resulted in four injuries and six that led to a hazmat release.

Train derailments that require evacuations due to possible explosions or toxic fumes are rare. A USA TODAY analysis of federal incident reports in 2023 revealed that hazardous materials have spilled or leaked from trains more than 5,000 times in the United States over the last decade. In comparison, there were 67 hazmat leaks from highway transportation for every rail leak reported in 2023 alone, according to federal records.

In 2022, rail operators reported 337 hazardous material leaks or spills; only 32 of these were classified as "serious." Six were reported to have caused an injury. Railroad derailments counted for 1 in 10 hazmat wrecks in the past decade – and 1 in 4 of those incidents last year, according to USA TODAY's 2023 analysis.

The Association of American Railroads previously reported that over 99.9% of all hazmat shipments reach their destinations without incident. The association has also said that the hazmat accident rate has declined 80% since 2005.

Contributing: Trevor Hughes, Tami Abdollah, and Jayme Fraser, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Train carrying possible hazardous materials derails in Texas, officials say

Reporting by Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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