Photos: MD Firefighters Handle Tanker Explosion, House and Brush Fires

March 7, 2023
Frederick County Fire Chief Tom Coe praised firefighters for working together to handle the challenging incident.

FREDERICK, MD – At noon Saturday, a tanker carrying flammable fuel veered off U.S. 15, struck a tree and exploded sending a fireball and dark smoke into the air.

Flames ignited a nearby house and brush while burning fuel flowed into drainage ditches and culverts.

The driver of the Sheetz tanker that was hauling 8,200 gallons of gasoline, died in the crash which remains under investigation by Maryland State Police.

Tasked with three specific incidents, fire officers quickly divided the operation. Frederick County Battalion Chief Rusty Hahn took the U.S. 15/tanker command, while United Fire Chief Jerry Dorsey had Rosemont Avenue/burning fuel command and United Deputy Chief Marc McNeal assumed Apple Avenue/house fire command.

Hahn quickly called for a second alarm as well as specific resources due to the magnitude of the incident. Extra foam was going to be needed.

“I’ve never seen anything like it. Burning fuel was running down the street into drains and culverts. It was setting grass, trees and brush on fire," Dorsey said adding that the entire cloverleaf was ablaze.

Firefighters and hazmat crews managed to contain the fuel from entering nearby Carroll Creek as well as the city’s sanitary sewage system. 

Dorsey said things may not have gone that smoothly had the incident occurred during the week when the majority of the volunteers are not available.

“Several stations emptied their houses,” he said. “We had a lot of people and everyone worked well together…Each division had its own channel and that worked well.”

Firefighters from nearby counties as well as Virginia, Fort Detrick, Raven Rock and Camp David responded to assist. Foam used to quell the flames was environmentally friendly and did not contain PFAS, linked to cancer, Frederick County Fire Chief Tom Coe said.

He noted that 65 gallons of foam were used during the operation.

Coe said he is proud how the incident was handled. "It's just amazing how everyone worked together. It shows how a combination department really can come together."

The magnitude of the incident was dealt with quickly and appropriately as resources were deployed to different areas.

"We will do an after-action report and learn from this event. It was just incredible how it was handled considering it was like a bomb was dropped in the city. But, it could have been so much worse had the trees not stopped the truck and if the fuel had entered Carroll Creek...We could have had significant loss of life..."

Coe said additional personnel came in to help up-staff the Emergency Communications Center.

"We also opened the Emergency Operations Center in case we needed additional resources."

"Everyone did a great job," the chief said, adding that it was truly a team effort on every front. 

United Fire Co. Deputy Chief McNeal, who led the house fire command, also said the tree made the difference.

“It would have directly hit one or two of the houses on Apple Avenue. We were fortunate it hit the tree.”

A single-story house on Apple Avenue that runs parallel to the northbound lanes of the highway was destroyed by the fire. Three residents escaped without injury.

Nearby houses sustained heat damage and the fence around another melted. Three vehicles also were destroyed.

McNeal said each command on their own channel helped immensely as the crews had different operations to handle. Without it, he said it would have been not only confusing but dangerous. 

Independent Hose Co. Chief Brian Grossnickle said firefighters were doing what needed to be done to control the incident at all locations.

“There were some extraordinary acts of good decision-making,” he said.

He and his engine crew assisted with brush fires ignited by the flaming fuel.

Firefighters from many of the Frederick departments remained at the scene for several hours to assist investigators.

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