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Firefighters in Westfield were called to the area behind181 Notre Dame St. just after 6:45 p.m. and found the train car engulfed in flames. Crews were able to put out the blaze, but all of the contents inside were destroyed, state fire investigators said.
Authorities did not say what was lost.
“Railway fires come with a unique set of hazards to firefighters and the public, and this was a very challenging fire for us to knock down,” said Westfield Fire Chief Patrick Egloff. “We had to cut our way into the freight car to fully extinguish it.”
Investigators noticed that the door showed signs of forced entry into the train car, and other clues led them to believe that someone may have broke in and set the blaze.
“Every fire is dangerous,” said State Fire Marshal Jon Davine. “We’re very fortunate that no one was injured last night, but if that fire had spread, we could have seen a serious risk to the community. If you have any information on how it started, please share it with investigators.”
State arson inspectors are working with the Westfield police and firefighters to investigate the blaze. They ask anyone with information to contact Westfield detectives at 413-572-6400
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