I-20 shut down into night in Arlington, TEXAS
after PROPANE truck fire. EVACUATIONS
SUGGESTED BY TDOT DUE TO THE RISK OF EXPLOSION
A 'voluntary' evacuation is being made within a one-mile
radius of the burning truck
ARLINGTON – Fire crews now believe Interstate 20 will
remain closed through much of the night because the propane fire is burning
slower than expected.
The Fort Worth police said on Twitter the highway will
remain closed until at least 2 a.m.
Fire department spokesman Lee Tovar said it's impossible
to predict when the fire will go out, though he believed it could be sometime
Saturday morning.
They have been on the scene of a fiery crash involving
an 18-wheeler and two other vehicles since 6:15 a.m. The wreck has closed all
lanes of I-20 between Green Oaks and 820.
Fire officials say their main concern is a possible
explosion, since the 3,000-gallon tanker truck was carrying propane. It burned
for hours Friday on I-20 near Bowman Springs. Firefighter Lee Tovar with
Arlington Fire Department said the driver had just filled the tanker up with
2,600 gallons of propane.
Residents and businesses within a one-mile radius north
and south of the crash were told about the fire, and asked to voluntarily leave
the area. AFD said earlier that residents within a one-mile radius were being
evacuated, but a tweet just after noon corrected that information, saying
residents had only been "advised" about the incident. The evacuation
is now considered voluntary.
Crews are still observing a burning propane truck that
caught fire Friday morning on Interstate 20. News 8's Jim Douglas has the
latest.
"We just packed a couple of bags in case we have to
be gone overnight," said Terry Hymond, one of the evacuated residents.
Fire fighters are also staying as far back from the
scene as possible. They have set up unmanned hoses on the ground to spray
thousands of gallons of water on the 18-wheeler, in an effort to keep it cool.
Officials say an explosion is possible only if the container gets too hot.
A nearby natural gas plant opted to stop operations
until the fire is out, as a precaution.
Throughout the late afternoon, AFD sent its bomb robot
in to assess the fire.
The fire started around 6:15 a.m., after the 18-wheeler
collided with a Ford Mustang, and the truck flipped onto its side. A third
vehicle then struck the wreck, according to fire officials. No injuries were
reported, and authorities are sill investigating what caused the crash.
Around 9:40 a.m., the Arlington Fire Department tweeted,
"Crews are setting up ground sets to keep container cool, letting it burn
out."
Pioneer, Division and Interstate 30 can be used as
alternate routes to Fort Worth, but drivers in Arlington say they have never
seen backups as bad as Friday's. One man told WFAA it took four times longer to
get home than usual.
TxDOT spokesperson Val Lopez said after the scene is
cleared, crews will have to assess damage to the highway before westbound lanes
can be reopened.
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Update 3:00 p.m. – According to officials, Interstate 20 closures due to propane truck crash are expected to last through Friday rush hour and into the evening.
ARLINGTON (CBSDFW.COM) - A crash involving a propane truck caused a traffic nightmare in Arlington early on Friday morning. The incident happened at around 6:15 a.m. in the westbound lanes of Interstate-20, close to the Green Oaks Boulevard exit.
According to Arlington Police Department officials, the propane truck and another vehicle crashed in the westbound lanes of I-20, forcing the propane truck to overturn and catch on fire. Witnesses said that the driver of a Ford Mustang sped up to get in front of another car, but lost control and hit the propane truck.
Dustin McLaughlin was four cars behind the crash and said that the ball of fire was unbelievable. “I pulled over and ran up, make sure everyone was okay.”
Firefighters also responded to the crash scene to keep the flames under control. The intense fire may need to burn itself out, but that process could take several hours. The truck was carrying about 2,500 gallons of propane in its tank.
The Arlington Fire Department is working with AmeriGas, the gas company which owns the truck, trying to shut off the valves and stop the flames. But that may not be possible, and the fire might just have to keep burning until it is done.
“It could take several hours, up to a day,” said Assistant Chief Bill McQuatters. “That’s worst-case scenario.”
Despite the dramatic scene, there were no reports of any injuries in this incident, police officials stated.
However, the Arlington Fire Department is concerned for people within a one-mile radius of the scene. They are trying to keep everyone away from the fire just in case the truck explodes. Several neighborhoods have been asked to evacuate as a result.
The westbound lanes of the highway were immediately closed following the crash, while emergency crews were arriving to the scene. The eastbound lanes later followed, shutting down a busy portion of a major North Texas interstate. Those closures have also had an impact on travelers along nearby Highway 287.