Video images showed huge flames and thick black smoke rising into the air and train carriages on the ground near a lake.
None of the train’s crew members were hurt but there was a report of someone suffering from smoke inhalation, said Tim McMahan, a spokesman for Union Pacific Railroad.
Fire officials in the suburb of Tempe said the derailment happened at about 6am local time and that about 90 firefighters were at the scene.
Some of the train’s carriages carried lumber and others were tanker carriages. Mr McMahan said he did not know what was inside the tanker carriages but that there were no reports of any leaks.
The 2.5-mile Tempe Town Lake is a popular recreation spot for jogging, cycling and boating and close to Arizona State University.
