TUESDAY AFTERNOON: Fire Pit Out, Evacuation Order Remains

EAST PALESTINE, Ohio (News Talk 1480 WHBC) – That big plume of flame and smoke Monday afternoon that signaled the start of a chemical release at the Norfolk Southern train derailment site in East Palestine is now down to just a wisp of smoke.

The railroad company confirms the fire pit has burned out and most of the tanker cars carrying the unstable vinyl chloride had been removed by 1 p.m. Tuesday afternoon.

Those are now being inspected by the NTSB.

Fire Chief Keith Drabick says the evacuation order for the east end of the village remains in effect.

He says that won’t change until he gets the OK from the state health department, U.S. EPA and the railroad.

And he says he doesn’t know when that might be.

Air monitors are back in operation close to the crash site and nothing troubling has turned up.