Sign In  |  Register  |  About Pleasanton  |  Contact Us

Pleasanton, CA
September 01, 2020 1:32pm
7-Day Forecast | Traffic
  • Search Hotels in Pleasanton

  • CHECK-IN:
  • CHECK-OUT:
  • ROOMS:

Devastating tanker fire shuts down major Pennsylvania highway: video

A tanker caught fire and shut down a large section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike on Saturday. The debris and blaze sparked fears of injuries.

A devastating vehicle fire involving a tanker created havoc on the Pennsylvania Turnpike late Saturday morning. 

At least one vehicle turned into a rolling inferno on Interstate 476 shortly before 11 a.m., shutting down all lanes between Mid-County and Lansdale.

Social media images and videos show a large cloud of black smoke rising from the scene and blanketing the highway with debris.

Authorities have yet to release any official information about injuries, how many vehicles were involved or what caused the fire, but there is fear that multiple people were hurt.

ROAD CREW UNEARTHS UNUSUAL FIND FROM 1800s IN A HIGHWAY

Emergency personnel were first called to the scene at 10:24 a.m., northpennnow.com reported. 

Videos taken by @newsguyPhilly — published on X and shared with Fox News Digital — show firefighters wrestling with the blaze. 

SAN FRANCISCO BAY BOATERS FORCED TO FIGHT OFF ‘PIRATES’ WHO ARE STEALING SHIPS

The Official PA Turnpike X account Tweeted at 12:01 p.m. that firefighters are still getting the fire under control with water and foam.

"They can not allow traffic to travel north due to damage & fire suppression," PA Turnpike Alerts Tweeted. "Once safe, they will begin u-turning trapped queue; no timeframe for this to occur yet."

VIDEO: CARNAGE OF DEBRIS AND FIRE 

The PA Turnpike told Fox News Digital that there will be "extended road closure" on both the northbound and southbound sides as emergency personnel deal with the fuel in the tanker. 

People have been trapped on the road for hours. One driver, Ed McFarland, told Fox News Digital in X messages that there are miles of bumper-to-bumper traffic.

"We're going nowhere fast," McFarland said at 12:34 p.m. "I can’t see anything but stopped traffic and people out of their cars. The smoke is gone at this point," 

ATTEMPT TRAIN DERAILMENTS PART OF ALLEGED TERRORIST PLOT: COURT DOCS

The PA Turnpike X account has a running thread about travel alerts, lane closures and detours, with the most recent update posted around 11:39 a.m. telling drivers stuck on the highway to remain in their cars. 

"Once crews are able to get the active scene under control, Turnpike Maintenance crews will be working to get the trapped queue removed," PA Turnpike Alerts said in an X post.

"Please be patient and remain in your vehicle unless an emergency prevents you from doing so. If you have an emergency, have questions or need assistance, dial *11 (star 11) to be connected to the #PaTurnpike Traffic Operations Center."

At noon, PA Turnpike Alerts reported that firefighters are still getting the blaze under control with water and foam.

"They can not allow traffic to travel north due to damage & fire suppression," PA Turnpike Alerts tweeted. "Once safe, they will begin u-turning trapped queue; no timeframe for this to occur yet."

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

PA Turnpike X account's running thread of traffic updates:

Stock Quote API & Stock News API supplied by www.cloudquote.io
Quotes delayed at least 20 minutes.
By accessing this page, you agree to the following
Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.
 
 
Photography by Christophe Tomatis
Copyright © 2010-2020 Pleasanton.com & California Media Partners, LLC. All rights reserved.