Wednesday, July 1, 2015

CSX maintenance truck carrying a 100-pound propane tank caught fire on the railroad tracks in Dacula, Georgia

The chard remains of a CSX maintenance truck are seen after a propane tank ignited a fire as crews worked off Circle Drive in Dacula on Tuesday. The 100-pound tank had a malfunction along the release valve that caused the leak. (Staff Photo: David Welker)
The charred remains of a CSX maintenance truck are seen after a propane tank ignited a fire as crews worked off Circle Drive in Dacula on Tuesday. The 100-pound tank had a malfunction along the release valve that caused the leak. (Staff Photo: David Welker)
DACULA, GEORGIA
 
A CSX maintenance truck carrying a 100-pound propane tank caught fire Tuesday morning on a set of railroad tracks in Dacula. 

Capt. Tommy Rutledge of the Gwinnett County fire department said crews were dispatched just after 10 a.m. to the tracks off Winder Highway, near Waffle House. Roads closed as the Gwinnett Fire Hazardous Materials Response Team worked to contain the volatile gas, a task completed without injuries.

“It appears that the fire was sparked by a hydraulic motor mounted next to the tank on the truck,” Rutledge said. “The fire damaged the valve to the propane tank and allowed gas to escape and quickly ignite.

But that the vapors burned helped firefighters. It allowed them to focus hoses on the tank to keep it cool and minimize the risk of a greater blaze.

The most tense moment was when a “slight amount” of propane gas escaped the tank and didn’t ignite, the spokesman said.

“The gas is heavy and hugs the ground until it dissipates or finds an ignition source,” Rutledge said.

The spot where the fire burned was on the edge of a shady neighborhood along Circle Road. The tracks also butt against an aging mechanic shop with a barking dog guarding the door.

Trains began to move again around 12:30 p.m., shortly after workers removed the truck from the tracks. Rutledge said the blaze was under control after noon and was contained to the back of the truck.
Source: http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com