(Photo: KGW)
Driver in deadly tanker crash, rail car fire was from Vancouver
Witnesses describe massive tanker fire
Teresa Blackman 10:32 AM. PST
December 15, 2015 CONNECT TWEET LINKEDIN
All lanes of U.S. 30 have reopened after a deadly crash sparked a massive fire in Northwest Portland Sunday morning, forcing residents to hunker down in their homes as thick black smoke filled the air.
People from as far away as St. Johns, across the river, said they heard loud explosions and then saw flames shoot high into the air.
Investigators said the fire started when a semi-truck collided with one of the rail cars just before 9 a.m., Sunday. The driver of the truck, identified as Andrew Lambert, 41, of Vancouver, was killed in the crash, according to police.
Crews from several agencies responded to help battle the three-alarm fire which was located next to Highway 30, just south of the St. Johns Bridge.
Nearby businesses were evacuated and residents were told to stay inside their homes, with their windows tightly shut. Authorities said the nearest homes were about a half-mile from the fire.
"It was very thick, it was very black," said Nick Riddle, who witnessed the smoke and fire. "I saw this big pillar of smoke going into the sky."
It took multiple fire crews about two hours to get the blaze under control.
A total of eight rail cars were damaged, but they were not moving at the time of the accident. The tanker cars were filled with liquid asphalt. The asphalt did not leak out or catch fire, according to Terry Foster with Portland Fire & Rescue.
The semi-truck was transporting a full tank of diesel fuel, which did catch fire.
"Nearby residents were urged to shelter in their homes during this emergency. No residents are or were in danger during this incident. The alert was precautionary," Foster said.
The Holiday Half Marathon in the area was impacted by the heavy smoke. About 100 runners who were experiencing breathing difficulties were transported out of the area on school buses. The rest of the event went on as planned.
There were several road closures during the fire, but as of early Sunday evening, one lane of Highway 30 eastbound was reopened. All westbound lanes remained closed, along with the ramp to eastbound U.S. 30 from the St. Johns Bridge.
Police said Lambert worked for Kenan Advantage Group and was driving a 2009 Peterbilt semi tractor. He most likely died on impact, they said.
Burlington Northern Sante Fe spokesman Gus Melanos says the railways main lines were not impacted.
Lt. Rich Tyler with Portland Fire & Rescue said the semi truck was hauling about 11,000 gallons of fuel. He said if the railway tankers had been full of fuel, and if they had caught fire, the situation would have been a lot worse. Each railway tanker can hold about 30,000 gallons of fuel.
Firefighters had enough foam to extinguish the fire, thanks to help from the Vancouver Fire Department and the Port of Portland.
“We're working with the state to come up with additional foam and training for our capabilities but as of yesterday, Sunday, we still didn't have the amount of foam necessary,” Tyler said.
Meanwhile, Don Hamilton with the Oregon Department of Transportation said on Monday the agency was crunching the numbers and looking at crash data in the area. He said in the last five years, there have been three incidents in which cars have left the road and crashed near the same spot.
He said ODOT will figure out whether any safety improvements to be made.
“We're not going to spend the taxpayers' money on a 'what if,' something that could happen. We have to make sure we're addressing a real safety issue,” said Hamilton.
Hamilton said if ODOT does find a safety issue, possible fixes could include guardrails, rumble strips, and even cable or concrete barriers.