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A tanker driver, who was critically injured in the crash, attempted to stop gasoline from spreading before the fire ignited
Crews battled the fire for hours using foam and sand trucks to contain the hazardous materials and water runoff
The second driver involved was uninjured
A truck driver was seriously injured after the 18-wheeler he was driving was struck by another vehicle in Texas, causing the tanker to take down power lines and erupt into flames.
On Sunday, April 5, around 1:00 a.m. local time, first responders rushed to the scene of a crash between a car and a tanker that was carrying 9,000 gallons of gasoline at a Valero gas station on Trinity Boulevard in Fort Worth, ABC affiliate WFAA, CBS News and FOX affiliate KDFW reported. The crash involved the tanker and another, and resulted in the tanker knocking down power lines and catching fire.
The driver of the tanker put on special equipment and attempted to stop the gas from spreading in the parking lot of the gas station, but the downed electrical lines caused the fuel to ignite, the Fort Worth Fire Department said in a statement. The driver of the 18-wheeler was transported to a burn center in critical condition, officials said.
Meanwhile, the incident commander on site decided to bring in more resources to navigate the Level 2 HAZMAT incident. The fire burned for hours as crew members sprayed water on the tanker to keep it cool, authorities said. Local environmental experts were brought in, as was an ARFF truck from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport to spray foam.
An 18-wheeler erupted into flames following a crash in Fort Worth, Texas.
Credit: Craig Trojacek/Fort Worth Fire Dept.
The truck driver was seriously injured following the crash on April 5.
Credit: Craig Trojacek/Fort Worth Fire Dept.
“Sand trucks were also requested to help with building dams to catch all of the water runoff,” the fire department said. By 7:00 a.m., team members had put out the fire.
The second driver remained at the scene and was uninjured, WFAA reported.
The Fort Worth Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Local resident Eddie Johnson told WFAA that he heard a big “boom.”
“I thought the whole block was going to blow up,” Johnson told the outlet. “I was thinking attack on America, I really was.”
A firefighter at the scene of the massive fire in Fort Worth, Texas.
Credit: Craig Trojacek/Fort Worth Fire Dept.
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Fortunately, the traffic accident resulted in no other injuries, the fire department said. The company of the 18-wheeler confirmed to WFAA that the driver is now out of the ICU, but is facing a long recovery.
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