The first units encountered an 8,000-gallon unit that rolled onto the passenger side.
Several Minnesota fire departments responded to a gasoline tanker that overturned while turning onto a highway entry ramp on Friday, May 23.
Just before 2 p.m., crews from the Roseville Fire Department were dispatched to a reported overturned tanker at the intersection of Interstate 35W and County Road C -- less than six miles from the site of the Interstate 35W bridge collapse. Responding units were advised of multiple phone calls reporting the overturn and the Lake Johanna Fire Department was notified.
The first units encountered an 8,000-gallon unit that rolled onto the passenger side. The driver, who just left the filling facility, was safely out of the rig with minor injuries.
""We have more than 300 fuel tanker trucks filling daily at the two bulk storage facilities located here in Roseville" said Roseville Fire Chief and Firehouse.com Contributor Richard B. Gasaway. "With that volume, we're bound to have mishaps." The Roseville Fire Department has handled six similar incidents in recent years.
A perimeter was set up as crews assessed the scene. Firefighters stretched several handlines and covered the scene with foam while another crew located a hole which gasoline was pouring from. As hoselines stoodby, firefighters plugged the hole that spilled about 1,000 gallons of gasoline.
Mutual aid was requested from the New Brighton Department for air monitoring and the St. Paul Fire Department was notified for their regional hazmat team equipment.
A crash unit from the Metropolitan Airports Commission, which covers the Minneapolis-St. Paul and Hubert Humphrey Airports, responded to supply foam after the Roseville Foam-Engine's 400-gallon supply was depleted. Numerous law enforcement department, local and state environmental agencies and support units were on the scene.
"An overturned gasoline tanker truck commands a level of respect and caution" Gasaway said. Our crews did a great job of controlling the leak and suppressing the vapors with foam."
Crews from Little Canada and Falcon Heights covered the Roseville stations.
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