Fuel tanker bursts into flames, interrupts I-84 traffic
A tanker truck carrying more than 1,600 gallons of diesel and gasoline apparently lost its driveline and caught fire late Friday afternoon resulting in closure of Interstate 84in both directions.
The breakdown and ensuing fire came near milepost 68, close to the East Boise Port of Entry and the Ada-Elmore county line. The driver pulled the truck and trailer to the shoulder of the interstate before escaping to safety.
Upon arrival, the Boise Fire Department assessed the burning tanker and decided on a “let-it-burn” approach to keep diesel fuel from contaminating the ground and forcing a costly environmental cleanup.
“If we put the fire out, then we have a lot of raw fuel that we have to deal with. That becomes a ‘hazmat,’ so on this particular situation, we elected to just let it burn off,” battalion chief John Peugh told a reporter for KTVB television in Boise.
After the fire was contained, crews cleared the debris and restored travel to the interstate before 11 p.m. All lanes of I-84 were blocked at the scene for nearly thee hours. Travel was fully restored after about 6-½ hours.
Published 1-25-2013