What happened to the Howard Street tunnel in Baltimore?

On 18 July 2001 a fire broke out on a cargo train of 60 cars as it travelled through the Howard Street tunnel. Its cargo contained hazardous waste, paper, plywood, soy oils and other products.

The crew realised something was wrong when the train came to a rough stop after losing air pressure in the braking system. After a short time fumes from the diesel engine were building up, so the crew attempted to contact the train master for assistance, but there was no radio signal.

How did the Howard Street Tunnel fire start?

The crew were unaware at the time that several cars had derailed and caught fire. They decided to uncouple the cars from the engine and exit the tunnel, intending to return with support to assess the problem. It was at this point that they noticed the smoke.

Upon leaving the tunnel they contacted Jacksonville by radio and asked the dispatcher to notify Baltimore City that not only had the cars derailed in the tunnel and caught fire, but that there were hazardous materials onboard.

The fire department had it confirmed that the train was carrying hazardous materials including tripropylene and hydrochloric acid. The emergency response was then hampered by a 40” water main break above the tunnel. Both events took place at peak rush hour.

At first the fire services did not know the exact location of the fire. Having investigated they determined that the water pipe break was almost directly above the fire, adding to the environmental and health concerns related to chemical acids.

Evacuation of the street was difficult with many people not knowing what was wrong, adding to the confusion for commuters and visitors to the city.

As the fire grew, temperatures in the tunnel rose to more than 1,500°C. Wind blew down the tunnel which fuelled the paper-burnt embers and chemicals onto the street above.

Firefighters battled for a number of days to control the fire while other experts monitored the environment for signs of contamination.

What can the industry learn from the Howard Street Tunnel fire?

The Howard Street Tunnel fire represents a major transportation incident that had potential for a catastrophic impact on the city and surrounding area. There was a further call to change the transportation route for chemical waste.

This event highlighted the need for up-to-date information of services and the need for a better emergency response plan.