UPDATE: Creosote-treated railroad ties fire now contained in Dunnellon

Aerial photo by Bryce Hale on Feb. 1, 2026 at approximately 7 a.m.

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Posted February 1, 2026 |

By Jennifer Hunt Murty

UPDATE: 12:15 p.m. The fire has been successfully contained. Local emergency management officials from the county, health department, CSX and state DEP are on scene. Their first concern will be testing air quality and after that will be other environmental concerns, including water pollution.

UPDATE 10:34 a.m.: In this video, you can see MCFR is saturating this spot with water to keep the fire from spreading north.

UPDATE 10 a.m.: Publisher Jennifer Hunt Murty spoke in person with Dunnellon Mayor Walter Green near the site of the burning railroad ties. He said first responders saturated a “stopping point” with water to contain the fire so it would not spread toward the Rainbow River. He said there was not a plan for evacuation at this time. There was, however, a lot of smoke, especially in the Blue Cove residential area.

JJ Grow State Representative, Florida House District 23, whose area include Citrus County and part of Marion county, posted on his Facebook page around 9:50 a.m. that was in contact with the governor’s office and, at their direction, the state has notified/activated the Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Emergency Management, Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health to support first responders.

“This is being treated not only as a fire, but as a potential environmental and public health incident due to toxic smoke and contamination risks. State agencies will be assisting with air quality monitoring, health guidance and environmental oversight. Once the fire is contained, the state will remain involved to assess environmental impacts, address any health hazards and support cleanup efforts,” he wrote.

UPDATE 9:39am: In a conversation with Dunnellon Mayor Walter Green around 9:30 a.m., he stated, “We are not evacuating right now. We have an evacuation location, First Baptist Church. There has been an evacuation location since first thing this morning, but they never did put the order out to evacuate. They’ve been able to control it so far. And if the wind doesn’t pick up any more than it is, maybe it can burn down to a certain location and they’ll have it under control. I’m here now where they are trying to establish this break and we’ll know within the next hour if they can control it at this one spot and stop it from moving further north. It’s burned about half the ties already.”

ORIGINAL POST: A fire broke out early Sunday among thousands of creosote-treated railroad ties still stacked along a CSX rail line that runs through Dunnellon’s main thoroughfare, weeks after officials said the material would be removed from the site.

Bryce Hale, a Dunnellon resident who has documented conditions at the rail yard through aerial photography, told the Ocala Gazette he believes the fire began around 4 a.m. Hale said city officials were evacuating the Comfort Suites hotel near the site as smoke and flames spread along the tracks.

The dark smoke rises from the stacked ties, which remain stored near residential areas and within close proximity to the Rainbow River, a first-magnitude spring.

Although some railroad ties were shipped out by rail earlier in January, thousands remained at the site when the fire ignited. Prior aerial photographs taken by Hale over the past week show that loading operations had stalled, with no loading equipment visible on site in the days leading up to the fire.

Local officials have not yet released information on the cause of the fire.

Weather conditions Sunday morning raised additional concerns. Temperatures at the site were reported at 22 degrees, with wind speeds up to 22 miles per hour blowing from the southwest. Forecasts indicate winds are expected to increase, conditions that can accelerate fire spread and complicate suppression efforts.

The fire follows months of warnings from residents and fire officials that creosote-treated railroad ties pose a serious fire risk. Chief James Banta of Marion County Fire Rescue previously cautioned that such fires burn extremely hot, can smolder for extended periods and produce hazardous smoke and runoff.

In a letter to Dunnellon Mayor Walter Green, dated Dec. 4, 2025, which was shared to the “Gazette” by the mayor, Banta stated in part: “Pursuant to our conversation, I am providing an operational overview of the decisions Marion County Fire Rescue (MCFR) would face if a fire were to occur involving the creosote-treated railroad ties currently stored in Dunnellon. My intent is to outline the practical fire service implications and the environmental constraints that would guide our response. Creosote-treated railroad ties create a unique type of incident. A fire involving these materials is not a standard wood fire. Creosote behaves more like a petrochemical, burning extremely hot, producing heavy black smoke and generating contaminated runoff capable of polluting soil and waterways. If these ties ignited, MCFR would immediately be forced into a series of challenging tactical decisions. One of the most difficult decisions would be determining whether to aggressively extinguish the fire or to allow it to burn under control. Aggressive suppression would require very large volumes of water and foam, producing contaminated runoff that could easily reach stormwater systems, wetlands, and ultimately the Rainbow River watershed. Even with rapid deployment of containment equipment, our ability to manage that runoff would be limited. The alternative of allowing the pile to burn in a controlled manner is sometimes used in industrial fuel fires when suppression would worsen environmental damage. However, this strategy would require isolating the pile, protecting nearby exposures, and accepting prolonged smoke impacts on air quality and public health. Neither option is favorable and both carry significant environmental and public-safety consequences.”

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection approved an air construction permit in January authorizing a private contractor to shred and grind creosote-treated railroad ties at the Dunnellon location. However, grinding operations never began due to an agreement with CSX and city and county officials to move the ties.

The Gazette asked Marion County Attorney Matthew Minter whether there is any written agreement binding CSX to its earlier commitment to remove the railroad ties — a pledge made after the county and city threatened legal action.

“No,” Minter said.

City and county officials said Sunday they are continuing to assess the situation, including public-safety impacts, enforcement options and next steps to address the remaining ties.

MCFR posted this information on its Facebook page shortly before 8 a.m.:

Marion County Fire Rescue crews are currently on scene working to extinguish a fire involving a large stockpile of railroad ties near E McKinney Street and North Williams Street in Dunnellon, FL.

What We Know Right Now:

• Firefighters are actively engaged in fire suppression

• The materials involved (railroad ties treated with creosote) can produce heavy, irritating smoke — please avoid the area if possible and keep windows/doors closed.

• Residents may experience strong odors or smoke; if you are sensitive to smoke, consider staying indoors and limiting exposure.

Safety Reminder: Creosote-treated wood can release toxins when burned. Emergency personnel are taking appropriate precautions to manage both the fire and environmental safety concerns as they work.

What You Can Do:

• Avoid the area so crews can work safely.

• If you notice worsening smoke conditions at your home, consider relocating temporarily until conditions improve.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.