In the early hours of Monday, June 16, a fire ignited along the railroad corridor adjacent to the South Block Apartments, setting off an urgent response from Salem’s fire services. The alarm was raised at precisely 8:19 AM, shortly before a dense column of dark smoke billowed above the city center, drawing attention from across downtown Salem.

The tracks affected by the blaze are located near residential areas and lie close to two major recreational sites—Riverfront Park and Minto-Brown Island Park. Firefighters were on the scene within moments and swiftly commenced firefighting operations to keep the situation under control.

Despite the intensity of the flames and the alarming visibility of the smoke, no injuries have been recorded thus far, offering a small relief amid the incident. Officials are actively investigating the source and cause of the fire, but no definitive conclusions have been made yet.

As this is a developing story, more information is expected to emerge in the coming hours.

Stay tuned for continued updates on this incident and other urgent reports from across the U.S. and around the globe.