A fuel tanker overturned near Qualcomm Stadium Wednesday, spilling thousands of gallons of fuel and sparking a fireball that burned for about two hours.
IMAGES: Latest Fire Photos IMAGES: Fuel Tanker Fire
The fire started at about 9 a.m. as a tanker truck was making a sharp turn from Mission Village Drive onto Friars Road as it headed to a fuel tank farm near Qualcomm Stadium. The truck was pulling a tanker trailer, which overturned and ruptured. The trailer erupted in flames and some burning fuel flowed across the road into the stadium parking lot.
The driver of the truck escaped without injuries, San Diego Fire Department spokesman Maurice Luque told NBC 7/39. The driver told authorities that he may have been traveling too fast, causing the tanker to roll over.
Authorities closed down Friars and Mission Center roads and brought in 12 fire trucks to prevent the fire from spreading to the tanker truck, Luque said. They were pouring water on the tanker truck to keep it cool and prevent it from exploding, he said.
"The main concern is not to put water on the fire itself," Luque said. "We're just going to let that fire burn itself down to a manageable level and smother it."
A huge column of thick black smoke rose from the inferno. It could be seen for miles, but official said it did not pose a health threat.
Firefighters had planned to smother the fire with foam, but after consulting with regional air quality officials, they decided it would be safer to let the fire burn all the fuel, Luque said. The fire finally burned itself out just before 11 a.m.
Friars Road will remain closed until the cleanup has finished and workers can evaluate possible damage to the roadway, Luque said.
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