801 Crockett Street, Shreveport, Louisiana 71101
318/ 673-6655 ● FAX: 318/ 673-6656 ● www.shreveportfire.org

Kelvin J. Cochran, Fire Chief

August 7, 2002

PRESS RELEASE
To: Newsroom
For Immediate Release
Contact: Brian A. Crawford, Public Information Officer
Phone: 673-6652, cell: 455-2609, page: 675-2137

Firefighters Battle Boxcar Fire Amid Heat - one firefighter transported to hospital with heat exhaustion

Shreveport firefighters are still fighting a train boxcar fire that was first noticed by railway officials this morning around 11:30 a.m.

Officials from KCS said the boxcar was being pulled through downtown as part of a long train when another train noticed smoke coming from one of the cars. When firefighters arrived at the scene, KCS officials had isolated the boxcar to a remote area of track around Linwood Avenue and Texas Street.

When firefighters opened the boxcar, black and grey smoke billowed out of its large doorway revealing bundles of compressed particle board. Firefighters knocked all of the visible fire down but remaining hot areas were difficult to reach because of the weight and configuration of the wood within the boxcar. Fire officials have called for a forklift to try and move some of the pallets of wood and reach the remaining fire.

One firefighter was transported to Willis Knighton Medical Center on Greenwood Road after displaying some early sighs of heat exhaustion. He is listed in good condition at this hour. Fire officials are very aware of the hot and humid conditions and regularly rotate companies of firefighters involved in emergency operations through on-scene rehabilitation centers for medical evaluation, water, and rest. ###