INDIANAPOLIS — A tanker fire on southbound I-465 on the city’s east side temporarily shut down all lanes Saturday morning.
The fire happened on southbound I-465 at Mile Marker 45.9 just after 8 a.m. Saturday. This is south of the Washington Street exit.
When crews arrived, they found a semi-truck hauling 3,000 gallons of diesel fuel on fire. The department ran into an issue controlling the fire, as the closest hydrant was at Washington Street at 465.
The semi’s driver said he had just left the shop at Pendleton Pike and VanCleve and was headed southbound on I-465 to Harding St. He told the Indianapolis Fire Department that he heard a bang, pulled to the side of the road and saw the semi on fire through his mirrors.
The driver jumped out and was unharmed. He believes the drive shaft came loose and punctured a hole in the tank.
The Indianapolis Fire Department said it took one fire tanker 6 trips to fill and dump 24,000 gallons of water and another tanker 6 trips to fill and dump 18,000 gallons of water. Another fire truck used a combination of water and a foam agent to extinguish both the semi that was on fire and the surrounding vegetation.
The department had the fire under control just before 9:45 a.m. However, crews with the Marion County Health Department and IFD HazMat to clean up the scene.
While crews worked with booms, foam and powder to contain the runoff, fuel made it into the nearby creek and traveled north for about 1/2 mile.
A firefighter was injured after a side view mirror on the engine hit the side view mirror on a semi while en-route. The glass shattered, flying into the window hitting the fireifghter in the face. He was transported to the hospital for treatment.
INDIANAPOLIS — All lanes on I-465 on the city’s east side are temporarily shut down because of a tanker fire. The incident happened in the SB lanes of I-465 near the Washington Street exit just after 8 a.m. Saturday. The closure is expected to last for several hours.
State Troopers say no injuries are reported.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
