PHOTO COURTESY OF BRAD PFANTZ — Several area fire departments responded to a railroad blaze between Marshalltown and State Center on Sunday afternoon.

A blaze that started after a train engine began throwing sparks and lit the railroad right-of-way on fire between Marshalltown and State Center required a response from several area departments on Sunday afternoon just before 4 p.m.

State Center Fire Chief Brad Pfantz told the T-R there were no personal injuries, but several new railroad ties that had just been dropped off did catch fire as well as nearby farm fields in the area between Marsh Avenue and State Center. The State Center, Melbourne, Rhodes, Haverhill and Albion departments all responded to the blaze.

Meg Siffring, a communications specialist for the Union Pacific Railroad, confirmed that a fire was reported on Union Pacific property in Marshalltown at 3:55 p.m.

“Train operations were impacted for about 2.5 hours and resumed at 6:45 p.m. Marshall County responded, and the incident is under investigation,” she said.

Sunday was busy for departments all across Marshall County as several fires were reported over the scanner radio.