A class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of residents, property owners, and employees within a 30-mile radius of the massive railroad tie fire that erupted in Dunnellon, Florida, on February 1, 2026. If you live or work within that zone, you may qualify to join the case, which seeks compensation exceeding $50,000 for lost income, reduced property values, out-of-pocket testing costs, and funding for a medical monitoring program. The suit names CSX Transportation, Florida Northern Railroad Company, and Track Line Rail as defendants, alleging negligence, nuisance, trespass, and strict liability for storing tens of thousands of creosote-treated railroad ties in a residential community without adequate safety measures. The fire broke out at 2:42 a.m.
On a Sunday morning near East McKinney Street and North Williams Street, initially reported as a dumpster fire behind an O’Reilly Auto Parts store. What firefighters found was far worse — an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 creosote-treated railroad ties burning and sending toxic black smoke visible for miles across Marion County. Creosote, classified by the EPA as a probable human carcinogen, contains chemicals that roughly one-third of which are designated “high priority pollutants” due to their toxicity, prevalence, and persistence in the environment.
Table of Contents
- Who Filed the Dunnellon Railroad Tie Fire Class Action, and Do Residents Within 30 Miles Really Qualify?
- What Burned and Why Creosote-Treated Railroad Ties Are So Dangerous
- The Emergency Response and Marion County’s Unprecedented Legal Action
- Water Testing Gaps That Should Concern Every Affected Resident
- Prior Warnings and What They Mean for the Legal Case
- Who Are the Defendants and What Role Did Each Play?
- What Comes Next for Dunnellon and the Class Action
- Frequently Asked Questions
Who Filed the Dunnellon Railroad Tie Fire Class Action, and Do Residents Within 30 Miles Really Qualify?
Attorney Simeon Genadiev of the Miami-based G Law Group filed the class action on February 23, 2026, in Marion County court, just over three weeks after the fire. The lead plaintiffs are Curtis Trammell and Christopher Bryant Crabtree, but the case was filed on behalf of all residents, property owners, and employees within a 30-mile radius of the fire site. That radius is broad by design — creosote smoke carried toxic particulates well beyond Dunnellon’s city limits, and the complaint argues that anyone within that zone may have suffered health exposure, property damage, or economic losses. The lawsuit alleges that all three defendants — CSX Transportation, which owns the parcel of land; Florida Northern Railroad, which leases and operates the rail line; and Track Line Rail, a Texas-based company that owns the railroad ties — displayed “utter indifference and/or conscious disregard” for the dangers of storing massive quantities of highly flammable, carcinogenic material near homes and businesses. The legal claims span negligence, private and public nuisance, trespass, and strict liability.
That last theory is particularly significant: the complaint argues the defendants engaged in “abnormally dangerous and/or ultrahazardous activity” by stockpiling toxic railroad ties without proper precautions, a classification that, if upheld, would not require plaintiffs to prove fault — only that the activity caused harm. For comparison, strict liability claims in environmental cases are relatively uncommon but have been used successfully in situations involving chemical storage and industrial fires near residential areas. The 30-mile class definition is also notable. In many toxic exposure class actions, the radius is five to ten miles. The broader scope here reflects the scale of the fire and how far the smoke traveled.
What Burned and Why Creosote-Treated Railroad Ties Are So Dangerous
Creosote is a thick, oily substance derived from coal tar that has been used for over a century to preserve wooden railroad ties, utility poles, and marine pilings. The EPA classifies it as a probable human carcinogen, and the agency notes that roughly one-third of the chemicals found in creosote are designated “high priority pollutants” because of their toxicity, how commonly they appear in the environment, and how long they persist once released. When creosote-treated wood burns, it releases a cocktail of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), volatile organic compounds, and particulate matter into the air, soil, and water. The Dunnellon fire involved an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 of these treated ties. That volume of burning creosote-soaked wood produced the thick black smoke that residents reported seeing — and smelling — for miles.
Track Line Rail, the Texas-based company that owned the ties, had reportedly planned to grind them on site, which itself raises questions about dust and particle exposure even absent a fire. However, the health risk from creosote exposure is not uniform. Proximity to the fire, duration of exposure, wind patterns on the night and days following the blaze, and whether individuals were outdoors all affect the level of risk. Residents who sheltered indoors with windows closed may have had less direct inhalation exposure than those who were outside or who have homes with poor air sealing. That said, soil and water contamination can affect people regardless of whether they breathed the smoke directly, which is why the lawsuit also covers property damage and calls for a medical monitoring program.
The Emergency Response and Marion County’s Unprecedented Legal Action
Marion County declared a local state of emergency on February 3, 2026 — just two days after the fire — to access additional state resources for the response. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection took the lead on air, water, and soil quality testing in the affected area. CSX Rail submitted a cleanup plan that was approved by state environmental officials around February 10, 2026. But the county did not stop at emergency declarations. The Marion County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to file an injunction against CSX Transportation, Track Line Rail, and Florida Northern Railroad.
The Dunnellon City Council voted separately to join that planned injunction. This kind of unified government legal action against major railroad companies is unusual and reflects the severity of the situation. Typically, municipalities rely on state or federal environmental agencies to handle enforcement; here, local officials decided they could not wait. The injunction effort runs parallel to the class action lawsuit but serves a different purpose. While the class action seeks monetary compensation for affected individuals, the injunction is aimed at forcing the companies to take specific cleanup and remediation actions. Residents watching this unfold should understand that these are separate legal tracks — joining the class action does not replace or conflict with whatever relief the county injunction might achieve.
Water Testing Gaps That Should Concern Every Affected Resident
Preliminary water testing conducted after the fire indicated that contamination levels had not breached state safety limits. On its face, that sounds reassuring. But a closer look at the testing methodology reveals significant gaps that residents and their attorneys are right to question. Public wells in the area were tested for Volatile Organic Compounds, or VOCs — a standard and appropriate panel given that creosote contains chemicals like benzene and toluene, which are highly soluble in water and known health hazards. However, surface water testing conducted by CSX’s contractors checked only for heavier Semivolatile Organic Compounds, or SVOCs.
The highly soluble chemicals — benzene and toluene among them — were simply not analyzed in surface water samples. This is a critical omission. If you test for the wrong chemicals, clean results do not mean the water is clean. This distinction matters for residents who rely on surface water sources or whose wells draw from shallow aquifers that may be influenced by surface water infiltration. If you live within the affected area and have concerns about your water supply, independent testing that specifically includes VOCs — particularly benzene, toluene, and other light aromatic hydrocarbons found in creosote — would be more informative than relying solely on the results released so far. The class action lawsuit specifically seeks compensation for out-of-pocket testing costs, which suggests the plaintiffs’ attorneys anticipate that residents will need to pursue their own testing to get a complete picture.
Prior Warnings and What They Mean for the Legal Case
One of the more damaging facts for the defendants is that neighbors had warned of fire risk months before the blaze occurred. While specific details of those warnings — who raised concerns, to whom, and what response they received — will likely be fleshed out during discovery, the existence of prior notice is legally significant. It goes directly to the lawsuit’s allegation that the defendants acted with “utter indifference and/or conscious disregard” for the dangers. In negligence law, prior notice of a hazard substantially strengthens a plaintiff’s case.
If a company knows or should know that a dangerous condition exists and fails to act, that failure can be characterized as more than mere carelessness — it can look like willful disregard. For the strict liability claims in this case, prior warnings are less central since strict liability does not require proving fault, but they bolster the overall narrative that these companies prioritized convenience and cost savings over community safety. Residents who documented complaints, attended public meetings, or communicated concerns to any of the three defendant companies before the fire should preserve those records. Emails, letters, social media posts, photos of the rail yard conditions, and even notes from conversations could become evidence. If you reported concerns to a city or county official, those records may also be obtainable through public records requests.
Who Are the Defendants and What Role Did Each Play?
The lawsuit names three corporate defendants with distinct roles. CSX Transportation owns the parcel of land where the fire occurred. Florida Northern Railroad leases and operates the rail line that runs through the site.
Track Line Rail, based in Texas, owns the railroad ties themselves and had planned to grind them on site — a disposal method that, even without the fire, would have raised environmental concerns about creosote dust and particle release. This three-party structure means that liability could be allocated among the defendants based on their respective control over the property, the rail operations, and the stored materials. In multi-defendant cases like this, companies sometimes point fingers at each other, each arguing that another party bore primary responsibility. For class members, the practical effect is that the case may take longer to resolve, but it also means there are multiple deep-pocketed entities from which compensation could be recovered.
What Comes Next for Dunnellon and the Class Action
As of March 1, 2026 — one month after the fire — community outrage persists over the pace of accountability and cleanup. The class action is in its earliest stages. The defendants have not yet filed formal responses, and class certification — the court’s decision on whether the case can proceed as a class action rather than individual lawsuits — has not been determined.
That process alone can take months. In the meantime, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection continues its oversight of air, water, and soil testing, and CSX’s approved cleanup plan is being implemented. Affected residents should monitor official updates from Marion County’s public information page on the fire, document any health symptoms or property damage they experience, and consult with an attorney if they believe they fall within the 30-mile radius. The legal process will be slow, but the breadth of the class definition and the severity of the allegations suggest this case will not quietly disappear.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who qualifies for the Dunnellon railroad tie fire class action?
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of all residents, property owners, and employees within a 30-mile radius of the fire site near East McKinney Street and North Williams Street in Dunnellon, Florida. You do not need to have suffered visible property damage — health exposure and economic losses are also covered.
What compensation is the lawsuit seeking?
The class action seeks compensation exceeding $50,000 for lost income, reduced property values, out-of-pocket testing costs, and funding for a medical monitoring program for affected residents.
Is the water in Dunnellon safe to drink after the fire?
Preliminary testing indicated contamination levels had not breached state safety limits, but significant testing gaps have been identified. Surface water was not tested for highly soluble chemicals like benzene and toluene that are present in creosote. Residents with concerns may want to pursue independent testing that specifically includes Volatile Organic Compounds.
What is creosote and why is it dangerous?
Creosote is a coal tar-derived preservative used on railroad ties. The EPA classifies it as a probable human carcinogen, and roughly one-third of the chemicals it contains are designated high priority pollutants due to their toxicity and environmental persistence.
Do I need to sign up for the class action or am I automatically included?
Class certification has not yet been granted. Once the court certifies the class, members within the defined area will typically be notified and given the option to remain in the class or opt out. At this early stage, consulting with an attorney about your specific situation is the best course of action.
Who are the defendants in the lawsuit?
The three defendants are CSX Transportation (landowner), Florida Northern Railroad Company (rail line operator), and Track Line Rail, a Texas-based company that owned the railroad ties and had planned to grind them on site.