Spontaneous combustion to blame for railroad ties that caught fire near commuter rail tracks
Spontaneous combustion is to blame for railroad ties that caught fire near tracks that run along the Fitchburg commuter rail line on Tuesday morning.
Video shared with Boston 25 showed flames burning near the Sherman Street crossing in Cambridge around 10:30 a.m.
A Keolis spokesperson said the hot weather caused the spontaneous ignition of the ties. Rail tie timbers are treated with a chemical called creosote because of long-term durability needed for railways.
Smoke could be seen billowing into the air as the fire burned.
The fire was quickly knocked down but the blaze did cause delays on the Fitchburg Line.
There were no reported injuries.
An investigation remains ongoing.
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