A train carrying crude oil along the banks of the Mississippi River derailed Thursday in a rural area of northwestern Illinois south of the town of Galena, starting a fire and leading the authorities to recommend that nearby residents leave their homes.

Officials from the Jo Daviess County Sheriff’s Department said that the Burlington Northern Railroad told them on Thursday afternoon that a 7,000-foot train carrying Bakken Crude Oil derailed, sending eight cars off the track. At least two train cars burst into flames.

The Associated Press reported that the train had 105 cars, 103 of which were carrying oil. Brandon Kieffer, a spokesman for the sheriff’s department, said that local officials had not been able to assess how much oil had been spilled.

The derailment happened in an isolated location, he said, and due to its remoteness and the intensity of the flames, firefighters were going to let the fire burn off.