At 19:44, Station 3 and surrounding companies responded for the reported train on fire in the 3-8 box. The caller, with CSX Transportation, advised there was a fire in the engine room and that they were near the Marriottsville Road intersection at the Howard/Carroll County line. Upon arrival Station 3 units were unable to locate anything at the intersection so CSX was re-contacted to verify the location. While waiting for more information, the train in question appeared around the bend traveling eastbound. The train was originally westbound when it experienced the fire and attempted to get to the Sykesville Main Street crossing. Unable to pull the grade with only one locomotive, they backed approximately 4 miles to the Marriottsville Road crossing to meet the firefighters. Once it came to a stop firefighters were able to determine that there was a fire in the second locomotive. The engineer advised that he used all three fire extinguishers available to him to little avail. Engine 32's crew used dry chemical extinguishers and dropped several chimney bombs filled with retardant down the exhaust to extinguish the blaze. The train was carrying rock track ballast, the crushed stone that's laid beneath railroad ties.
Chief 3B held the Marriottsville Command, Chief 3 had Fire Attack and Battalion Chief 2 had the East Division. Units cleared at 21:24.