Update: Fuel tanker explodes near Frederick; driver killed

Mar. 4—A tanker traveling north on U.S. 15 through Frederick overturned and exploded on Saturday, killing the driver, destroying a nearby home, and damaging other homes and vehicles.

The crash caused fuel to leak across the ground and into some storm drains, officials said, but no drinking water was contaminated and there was no immediate risk to the public.

The crash occurred north of Rosemont Avenue at about noon, when the Frederick County Emergency Communications Center began receiving multiple calls for an exploded vehicle, Fire Chief Tom Coe said at a news conference Saturday afternoon.

Officials said the tanker truck, carrying about 8,650 gallons of fuel, overturned between the Rosemont Avenue and 7th Street exits, hit a tree, then exploded.

It remained unclear what company the tanker was with or exactly what type of fuel it contained, Coe said. Officials had not identified the deceased driver as of about 5 p.m. Saturday.

There were no other known injuries.

The resulting fire extended to three homes and three automobiles in the 500 block of Apple Avenue, Coe said. A strip of small trees and vegetation is all that separates Apple Avenue from U.S. 15.

The Frederick County Division of Fire and Rescue Services said in a press release that there also was a report of a house fire in the 500 block of Schley Avenue.

Maryland State Police said a total of six homes and five vehicles were damaged.

The flames also caused a "large brush fire" along the highway, Coe said.

"This was a very logistically taxing incident, with lots of priorities that the first responders had to mitigate simultaneously," he said. "It was very complex."

All fires were under control within about 40 minutes of the original dispatch, Coe said. Crews ensured that the explosion didn't cause a "much larger catastrophe," he added.

Authorities said fuel came out of the truck and flowed down Apple Avenue, toward the intersection of Second Street and Rosemont Avenue.

A large number of city trucks and heavy equipment were gathered as crews worked to contain fuel that came out of a storm drain and entered Baker Park, behind the Schifferstadt Architectural Museum.

As of about 3:15 p.m., the Maryland Department of the Environment, the county's hazardous materials team, and the city public works department had confirmed that all hazardous materials involved in the incident were contained and had not reached Carroll Creek, Coe said.

Some foam used to fight the fire did enter the creek, Coe added, but it was "environmentally friendly" and did not contain PFAS compounds, also known as "forever chemicals." Crews were working to handle the foam Saturday afternoon.

Frederick Mayor Michael O'Connor refuted "rumors" that hazardous materials had ended up in the city sewer system.

Overall, the incident could have been much worse, O'Connor said.

"This is a scary day," he said at the afternoon news conference. "I'm thankful for the quick coordination and the courage of our first responders, who kept so many people in our community safe today."

Still, O'Connor and Coe said, officials would continue to monitor any environmental impact in the coming days and weeks. Cleaning up the fuel that spilled across the ground would take "some time," Coe said.

One of the three affected homes suffered "extensive" damage that displaced the occupants, Coe said. The other two sustained surface-level damage, he said, including melted siding.

None of the occupants of any of the homes was injured, and neither were the more than 100 firefighters who responded to the scene, Coe said.

A resident of the home with the worst damage said the Hernández family lives there — a mother, a father, four brothers and two cousins. The man didn't give his name, but said he was one of the brothers.

He said his mother had called him to say what had happened, and he rushed home from work. He panicked until he learned that everyone in his family was OK.

"It's just material loss," the man said.

The family bought the house two years ago, and he was working on remodeling it.

They were trying on Saturday afternoon to figure out what they would do next and where they would stay.

Bradd Hammond, who lives at 510 Apple Ave., said he was sitting in his kitchen with his three roommates when he heard a loud boom.

"I thought a truck hit the house," he said.

Hammond ran outside and saw the tanker truck engulfed in flames.

He and his roommates evacuated their home as wind spread flames onto nearby lawns.

Hammond said he and others have been concerned about the lack of protection between U.S. 15 and Apple Avenue.

Frederick Alderman Ben MacShane, who lives on Rosemont Avenue near U.S. 15, said his two young children ran into the house, yelling that there was a fire outside.

He went outside and saw smoke, then fire. He said the smoke was so thick, he could not see his backyard from his driveway.

MacShane said he used a hose to spray and wet down the area around his house, in case the fire spread that way.

Kim Wilson, who lives on Dill Avenue, said she heard the boom, too.

She saw smoke and smelled the fire.

She said she had to take her Yorkie, Bailey, and her other animals away from her home because they were getting agitated.

"My house smells more like smoke inside than out," she said.

Firefighters from Washington, Carroll and Montgomery counties responded to assist Frederick County crews, Coe said.

U.S. 15 was temporarily closed in both directions after the crash.

The northbound lanes of U.S. 15 were expected to remained closed for a while. Some streets in the city of Frederick were closed, too.

In a statement on Saturday afternoon, Gov. Wes Moore said: "My heart goes out to those affected by this tragedy in Frederick. I am in touch with County Executive Fitzwater, Mayor O'Connor and the City of Frederick.

"The Maryland Department of the Environment, State Police, Office of the State Fire Marshal, and the Maryland Department of Transportation are on the scene of this tragic accident. We are continuing to monitor the situation closely."

The Maryland State Police Crash Team is leading the investigation.

Photo Editor Bill Green contributed to this story.

Follow Jillian Atelsek on Twitter: @jillian_atelsek