Black smoke billows from London, Ont. rail tie fire

London, Ont. fire crews responded to a rail tie fire on Elias Street on June 1, 2026.(Source: London Fire Fighters Association/X)

Two rail cars were damaged with a value up to $100,000 after crews attended a blaze in east London, Ont. Monday afternoon after receiving multiple 911 calls.

London fire responded just after 4:30 p.m. to the incident on Elias Street, seeing smoke and flames from a distance. Officials say railway ties coated with oil base preservative were engulfed in flames, resulting in the black smoke.

“Crews responded within four minutes, did a great job to prevent any spread to nearby businesses or railway cars,” Deputy Chief Gary Bridge told CTV News.

No injuries were reported, but firefighters are expected to remain on scene well into Monday evening.