The driver of a tanker truck hauling “flammable liquid” has died after the vehicle overturned and exploded into a fireball Saturday on U.S. Route 15 in Frederick, Maryland, officials said.
The flames spread to three houses, damaged multiple vehicles and shut down the highway in both directions between Route 50 and 7th Street, according to the Maryland State Police.
Photos posted on social media showed massive flames and a plume of smoke.
The crash happened around noon. The fire was completely extinguished and there was “no risk to the public at this time,” Frederick County Fire Chief Tom Coe said at a press conference just after 3 p.m.
“No other injuries or fatalities have been reported from this incident,” state police said.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation, Coe said.
Damage from Maryland tanker truck explosion reported
Coe said damage from the explosion included:
- One home, which sustained “extensive damage which displaced the occupants of the home.”
- Two other residences that had minor damage.
- A large brush fire that has been extinguished.
Coe said crews were working to determine the exact substance that was in the tanker, but he believed it was a common flammable liquid such as gasoline or diesel fuel.
State police also said the state fire marshal and the Maryland Department of the Environment were responding to the scene.
Officials said they will be monitoring the air quality and isolating the area where the substance spilled into the soil. Frederick Mayor Michael O’Connor told reporters the creek near the explosion was not a source of drinking water for residents, and the city’s sewer system had not been compromised.
