I know this took place about 5 miles from your house --At least one person is dead after a cargo train derailment and fire in Rockford, Illinois on Friday, officials said.
Winnebago County Coroner Sue Fiduccia said the fatality was a woman. The cause of death had not been determined, because Fiduccia had not been able to get close enough to examine the body.
Fiduccia said she did not know whether there were other fatalities.
Crews were still fighting the blaze early Saturday from the derailment of the 114-car Canadian National Railway train.
Officers were called to the scene at around 8:30 p.m., a city police spokeswoman said. The derailment involved automobiles, but it was unclear whether they were on the tracks, the spokeswoman said.
Three motorists who were stopped at a train crossing were burned, one severely, said Rockford Fire Chief Derek Bergsten.
One victim who tried to run from the blaze suffered second-degree burns on his hand while trying to shield his neck from flames, Bergsten said.
Seventy cars on the train were carrying ethanol, a colorless, highly flammable liquid, fire officials said.
The derailment and subsequent fire forced the evacuation of about 600 nearby homes, authorities said.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/06/20/illinois.train.derailment/index.html