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“Why are the trains exploding?” That's the question The Wall Street Journal set out to answer as a series of trains full of North Dakota oil erupted into fireballs and created fear in cities far from U.S. wellheads. The Journal's groundbreaking investigation identified the source of the problem and guided federal and state regulators to solutions. Though crude oil is a hazardous substance that makes a mess when it leaks, it does not usually ignite into towers of flame. The energy industry denied that oil from North Dakota's Bakken Shale was unusual in any way. The Journal team nonetheless located and analyzed data showing that Bakken crude was far more combustible than conventional oil.