Locomotive fire near Cheney stops train traffic

A Burlington Northern Santa Fe locomotive caught fire outside of Cheney Wednesday afternoon, but local fire crews were able to put the flames out quickly once the train stopped. An empty train was on the BNSF main line just west of Cheney heading toward Spokane when flames were spotted in the second of three engines, said BNSF spokesman Gus Melonas. The crew members in the first engine brought the train to a stop and were uninjured. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The train was released at 7 p.m. and the damaged engine was brought to Spokane for repairs, Melonas said. The fire did not spread to the surrounding area. Six other BNSF trains were delayed while the fire was extinguished.