CSX pays county’s $42K Dunnellon fire bill

Thick, black smoke rises from a raging inferno as railroad ties burn behind the Comfort Suites in Dunnellon on Feb. 1, 2026. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette file photo]

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Posted May 27, 2026 | By Jennifer Hunt, [email protected]

CSX Transportation has paid the nearly $42,000 invoice issued by Marion County for the massive emergency response to the Feb. 1 Dunnellon rail tie fire, while state investigators have formally closed their inquiry into the blaze without determining a cause.

The developments come as the legal fallout from the fire continues to expand, with an amended class-action lawsuit now targeting the railroad companies on behalf of local businesses and a ticking clock on Marion County’s own stalled lawsuit.

Fire response, billing and firefighter exposure

Marion County billed CSX $41,870.67 to recover the costs of the extensive, multi-agency effort required to safely suppress the fire. According to a May 26 email from Marion County Fire Rescue official James Lucas, CSX has paid the invoice in full.

The finalized billing and newly released post-incident reports shed light on the extreme conditions first responders faced. According to MCFR’s After-Action Report, the massive stockpile of creosote-treated timbers created an incredibly challenging environment with heavy fuel loads, limited access and high winds pushing the fire toward heavily wooded areas.

It took 54 firefighters, seven fire engines, eight grass trucks and three tankers to get the blaze under control. During the fire suppression and overhaul operations, 54 personnel were potentially exposed to hazardous products of combustion generated by the burning creosote ties. To document this risk, internal exposure reports were submitted through the county’s Risk Management system for all personnel on the scene.

Investigation concludes without answers

Meanwhile, the official investigation into what sparked the inferno has concluded. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement led the cause and origin investigation.

Special agents tracked the fire’s origin to the west side of the railroad tracks, directly behind an auto parts store on North Williams Street. Investigators determined the fire ignited in the dry grass and traveled east across the tracks before engulfing the stacked railroad ties. However, after a thorough search of the suspected origin area, investigators found no physical evidence of an ignition source. Having exhausted all leads, OALE officially closed the case and classified the cause of the fire as “undetermined.”

County lawsuit faces July 5 deadline

On the legal front, Marion County’s lawsuit against CSX and tie-owner Track Line Rail remains in a holding pattern. Although the county filed a civil complaint seeking an injunction to force the cleanup of the site, officials have purposely refrained from serving the defendants.

During an April 7 meeting, County Attorney Matthew Minter advised commissioners to keep the lawsuit filed but unserved while CSX and its contractors continue removing ties and conducting environmental remediation. Entering active litigation, Minter noted, would be highly expensive and require numerous expert witnesses.

The county’s window to hold the unserved lawsuit over the railroad companies is rapidly closing, however. A court order has given the county a strict deadline of July 5 to officially serve the complaint, meaning the county commission will soon have to either formally enter the legal battle or drop the suit entirely.

After the fire, it took months to remove the remaining creosote rail ties.

Class-action suit expands and CSX appeals code violations

While the county stalls, other legal challenges against CSX are moving forward aggressively. The class-action lawsuit originally filed in February has been officially amended and served to CSX. The amended complaint notably adds a new “Business Class,” represented by Rainbow River Kayak Adventures, LLC, seeking redress for all individuals or legal entities who owned or operated a business within a 30-mile radius of the fire and suffered economic damages or loss of income.

Additionally, CSX is fighting back against local municipal actions. The railroad company has filed an appeal in the Fifth Judicial Circuit Court challenging the city of Dunnellon Code Enforcement Division’s findings that CSX violated city codes and state statutes leading up to the fire. The court has granted CSX an extension, giving the company until May 29 to file its initial brief in the appeal.