Marion County Declares Local State of Emergency Following Dunnellon Fire

Over the weekend, a devastating fire occurred at a property in Dunnellon where thousands of used railroad ties were stored unsafely. At Tuesday's county commission meeting, a declared a local state of emergency in coordination with the city of Dunnellon was unanimously approved. This declaration ensures that emergency services have the necessary resources and allows the county to take additional steps to address any potential contamination.

During the meeting, the county commission also addressed questions about why the fire was not prevented. Officials shared a detailed timeline of actions taken to hold the private companies responsible for the unsafe storage of railroad ties, which created significant safety and environmental risks.

The county and its legal team took extensive measures to get the companies involved to relocate the ties even with the legal limitations of the federally owned and operated railway. These measures included numerous code enforcement inspections, violations and formal notices, as well as working closely with the city of Dunnellon, CSX Transportation, Track Line Rail, Florida Northern Railroad, and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) to expedite enforcement and the safe removal of the ties.

Despite these efforts, tens of thousands of railroad ties remained on site, and in the early morning of Feb. 2, an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 ties caught fire. Marion County Fire Rescue and Hazardous Materials teams, in coordination with the Florida Fire Service, responded immediately and contained the fire, protecting the surrounding community.

FDEP has been onsite monitoring air quality and collecting soil samples, with no concerns detected to date. FDEP is also working on remediation efforts, which include removing soil to a depth free of contamination to ensure hazardous materials do not remain onsite. These efforts are being coordinated closely with Marion County Emergency Management.

The county will continue working with state and local agencies to determine the cause of the fire and ensure the site is fully cleared while protecting the natural environment and surrounding community.

The county commission also unanimously approved filing an injunction against all parties involved to hold them accountable for their lack of action and to request a court order for the removal of the ties.

Updates will be provided as more information becomes available. The full county commission meeting can be viewed at MarionFL.org/Agendas.