Fire burns for nearly 14 hours after wild California train heist

A rail car carrying lithium batteries caught fire Wednesday night in Southern California while it was being burglarized, officials said. 

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Lena Kent, a spokesperson for Burlington Northern Santa Fe, told SFGATE that crew members saw trespassers burglarizing the Chicago-bound train following its departure from the San Pedro Bay Ports. The crew then detected a fire in one of the cars carrying lithium-ion vehicle batteries, stopped the train immediately and called the San Bernardino County Fire Department, Kent said. 

The fire was reported near Cajon Boulevard in San Bernardino County, according to a post on X by the county fire department. During the fire, hazmat crews reported to the scene and authorities closed Cajon Boulevard from Cleghorn Road to Kenwood Avenue and Swarthout Canyon Road from Cajon Boulevard to Lost Lake Road. 

Video footage posted at 3:44 a.m. by the fire department shows large flames in the area on the approach to Cajon Pass, with several emergency vehicles on the scene. 

CAJON: #SBCoFD on scene RAILCAR INCIDENT on tracks near Cajon Blvd s/o Swarthout Cyn.

Single rail car loaded with lithium batteries. Container well involved with fire.

Hazmat crews on scene with air monitoring in place.

Road closures:

Cajon Blvd from Cleghorn to Kenwood.… pic.twitter.com/hsadwIOCdb

— San Bernardino County Fire (@SBCOUNTYFIRE) June 3, 2026

The blaze was reported around 1:15 a.m. and contained about 13.5 hours later at 2:45 p.m., a spokesperson for the San Bernardino County Fire Department, Eric Sherwin, told SFGATE. The fire was centered in one of the train’s cars, but it did not spread to the other 120 cars, Sherwin said. 

Officials did not say whether the burglary and the fire are connected or if any suspects have been identified. However, Sherwin said batteries do not appear to have been the target in the burglary. 

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Train burglaries have become an increasingly common problem. Last year, thieves took about $2 million in Nike sneakers during a series of heists targeting freight trains running through California and Arizona.

Kent said the railway is working with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to mitigate the trend. 

“These are not victimless crimes, particularly when many of these packages include much-needed medicine, food, and critical supplies necessary for everyday life,” she said.