Woman Killed Fleeing Ill. Train Derailment, Blast

Larry Bruce, who lives near the scene, evacuated with his family, and they spent Friday night in their RV parked at a Wal-Mart. The 41-year-old father said he had no choice but to leave because his twin 21-year-old daughters have respiratory problems.

"We have very little room for error and no room for mistakes," he said, adding that officials have not told him when the air quality will improve.

Two crewmen on the eastbound Canadian National train escaped injury, Waldron said. The engine crew was able to pull 64 cars away from the fire.

At least 26 fire departments had sent crews to the scene.

Witnesses told the Rockford Register-Star that cars on the Chicago-bound train began hydroplaning in standing water as it approached the crossing.

Alicia Zatkowski, a spokeswoman for ComEd, said the derailment knocked out power to about 1,000 of the Chicago-based utility's Rockford-area customers.

Parts of northern Illinois may have gotten as much as 4 inches of rain Friday, said meteorologist Gino Izzi of the National Weather Service. Chicago's O'Hare International Airport measured 3.6 inches, a record for the date, he said.