A BNSF freight train derailed in rural Minnesota (Representational image)|Prayitno|CC BY 2.0

Hundreds of residents in rural Minnesota had to evacuate their homes as a precautionary measure when a BNSF-operated train carrying ethanol and corn derailed and caused four cars to catch fire.

The train derailed at 1 AM Thursday in the city of Raymond. The cause for derailment is not yet known. The evacuation order was lifted around noon.