More than 4,800 families were out of their homes in Lincoln, California, on Wednesday morning as a railroad tank car loaded with propane burned nearby.
The tank car, loaded with about 29,000 gallons of propane, caught fire around noon Tuesday.
Firefighters were spraying the tank car with water to keep it cool but letting the propane burn off, Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said. Extinguishing the fire could allow a propane gas cloud to form that could cause further damage if it ignited, he said.
About 4,800 homes within a one-mile radius of the burning tank car were evacuated, Berlant said. Businesses within that radius were also closed, he said.
"The fire continues to burn. We're keeping it (the tank car) cool to keep the pressure as low as possible" to prevent an explosion, Berlant said.
The length of the evacuation depends on how long it takes for the propane to burn off, he said.
Berlant said the rail car had not derailed. It was sitting on a side track in a propane facility and was not connected to any other cars, he said.
The cause of the fire had not been determined, Berlant said.
Lincoln is in Placer County, California, north of Sacramento.
Read local coverage from CNN affiliate KXTV-TV.
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Burn baby burn--Disco inferno
I'm surprised no one was hurt! Wonder what caused it to explode to begin with... Not much detail in this article...
So if we had bigger government this would have never happend hahahahaha! You must be a government employee to say that!
Good thoughts to all the responders and citizens. Hope this mess gets resolved with no injuries or damages .
omg! running around in circles screaming!
Every president blames the guy before him bush blamed clinton for 911. When it happen on his watch another thing that happen on bush watch 2008 meltdown of our country republians all you do is blame the other side for ur screw ups man up
Dam I step in it must be obmas fault I didn't look down give the man a chance one nation under god right
Ahhh, @ jj ... Why do ya have 3 J's now?
THE ROOF! THE ROOF!... THE ROOF IS ON FIRE!!!
this was clearly the set of the next michael bay movie.