A small van carrying numerous and varying quantities of hazardous materials caught fire and exploded early Wednesday morning. The van contained automobile and other types of batteries, along with black powder, methyl alcohol, muratic acid, xylene, ammonium hypochlorate and acetone. The load had shifted in the van, which was in a residential neighborhood, and sparks from the batteries ignited some of the materials in the van. As this material burned, other reactions began taking place. The driver attempted to remove things from the burning van when they exploded. He was treated at Parkland burn unit in Dallas for flash burns and smoke inhalation.
The Denton Fire Department and the department's Hazardous Materials Response Team extinguished the fire and removed the items remaining in the van. The residential street remained closed throughout most of the day for mitigation of the incident. There were no other reported injuries.
