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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

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Oil train derails near Hood River

In this photo provided by Silas Bleakley, a train towing cars full of oil sends up a plume of smoke after derailing Friday, June 3, 2016, near Mosier, Ore. The accident happened just after noon about 70 miles east of Portland. It involved eight cars filled with oil, and one was burning. Highway 84 was closed for a 23-mile stretch between The Dalles and Mosier and the radius for evacuations was a half-mile. (Silas Bleakley)
In this photo provided by Silas Bleakley, a train towing cars full of oil sends up a plume of smoke after derailing Friday, June 3, 2016, near Mosier, Ore. The accident happened just after noon about 70 miles east of Portland. It involved eight cars filled with oil, and one was burning. Highway 84 was closed for a 23-mile stretch between The Dalles and Mosier and the radius for evacuations was a half-mile. (Silas Bleakley)

A train towing cars full of oil derailed Friday in Oregon’s scenic Columbia River Gorge, sparking a fire that sent a plume of black smoke high into the sky. The accident happened just after noon near the town of Mosier, about 70 miles east of Portland. It involved eight cars filled with oil, and one was burning, said Ken Armstrong, state Forestry Department spokesman. Highway 84 was closed for a quarter-mile near the site, and the radius for evacuations was a half-mile. The train was operated by Union Pacific. A spokesman for the railroad didn’t immediately return calls. The company announced on June 1 it planned to invest $34.6 million this year to improve its rail lines in Oregon. Mosier is about 70 miles east of Portland. The train’s route wasn’t immediately clear/Associated Press.

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D.F. Oliveria
D.F. (Dave) Oliveria joined The Spokesman-Review in 1984. He currently is a columnist and compiles the Huckleberries Online blog and writes about North Idaho in his Huckleberries column.

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