Fuel Tanker Flips, Bursts Into Flames in Texas

SAN ANTONIO --

The driver of a fuel tanker truck that rolled over on Loop 410 during rush hour Wednesday was recovering from severe burns at Brook Army Medical Center.

According to San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood, the driver suffered second-and third-degree burns over the upper portion of his body.

The driver managed to escape the burning truck and was assisted by another driver.

"There was a lady that was driving by who put him in her vehicle and drove him down the road to a safer location," Hood said during a news conference.

Hood said it was unclear what caused the truck to flip on its side but he speculated the full load of 8,600 gallons of gasoline shifted.

The fire sent a huge plume of thick black smoke into the air which was spread over the northeast side by 17 mph winds.

Concerned about the chemicals in the plume cloud, fire officials issued shelter in place orders to surrounding businesses including BAMC.

Despite the traffic troubles caused by the accident, Chief Hood said it couldn't have happened in a more ideal spot.

"If it would have been on a bridge, we would have had to go in aggressively and try to put it out to mitigate any damage to the bridge," Hood said. "If it would have been on this side (of the road), potentially we would have burned all these buildings down over here because of the amount of heat."

Seeing no danger to any structures, Hood allowed the fire to burn itself out. Had it been necessary, he said crews carry enough foam to extinguish a tanker fire.

"It's safer this way to do it like this, let it burn, and not to try to put water down because then you have to clean up the runoff, so we're not going to have to mitigate the runoff issue with that."

The Texas Department of Transportation was called out to check for damage to the road before reopening it to traffic.

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