South Hutchinson ? Two tanker cars carrying a highly flammable liquid jumped the tracks late Tuesday, forcing evacuations of 40 to 50 nearby homes, authorities said.

Crews worked Wednesday to clean up fuel that spilled from one of the tanker cars, said South Hutchinson Police Chief Scott Jones, and were able to minimize the danger. No injuries were reported.

Some of the fuel from the second car was emptied, and crews were waiting until special equipment arrived today before righting it, Reno County Undersheriff Dennis Stofer said.

The 17-car Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad train was headed to Hutchinson from Wichita when the tankers and an empty grain car derailed about 10:40 p.m. Tuesday in a small residential area, said Jim Wineland, general manager of the K&O.

One of the tankers tipped, spilling 30,000 gallons of ethanol into a nearby water-filled ditch, Jones said.

The city of about 2,500 people is south of Hutchinson in south-central Kansas. Evacuees were housed in the South Hutchinson Christian Church; Red Cross volunteer Scott Neher said 36 people stayed at the church Tuesday night.

For Wednesday night, the railroad company got hotel rooms and food vouchers for evacuees, Jones said. The evacuees were escorted home briefly, one family at a time, to get belongings.

Classes at a nearby elementary school were also canceled Wednesday, and area businesses and government offices were closed.

All were expected to reopen today.

Jones said he didn’t know what caused the derailment.