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Official: Derailed rail car fires should burn out overnight

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This aerial image made from a video provided by WPXI shows a damaged home after dozens of cars of a freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed in Hyndman, Pa., Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2017. County officials ordered all residents of the small Pennsylvania town to evacuate after the derailment. (WPXI via AP)

HYNDMAN, Pa. – Officials say the derailed freight train cars that have been ablaze for nearly a day and half in a small Pennsylvania town will burn themselves out overnight.

About 1,000 residents of Hyndman spent the night in hotels following Wednesday’s derailment that forced their evacuation.

County safety crews and workers from CSX, the train’s owner, helped residents retrieve pets and prescription medicines after they were ordered out of their homes Wednesday. Hyndman is about 100 miles (161 kilometres) southeast of Pittsburgh.

At least 32 rail cars derailed, some containing hazardous materials.

At least one house was practically sheared in half and one garage caught fire.

A CSX spokesman says they’re letting the propane burn itself out, which is safer than trying to extinguish it.

Some of the train cars that didn’t derail are being removed from the tracks.

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