Firefighter injured, interstate closed for hours after tanker fire on I-465

A tanker truck fire on Interstate 465 near Washington Street on the city's east side left a firefighter injured and closed the interstate in both directions for hours Saturday morning.

Anthony Ayres of Brown's Oil Services was driving south on I-465 when he heard a bang, pulled to the side of the road and saw fire through his mirrors, according to a news release from the Indianapolis Fire Department. He was not harmed.

A firefighter was cut on the face on the way to the scene when a side mirror on a fire truck collided with a side mirror on a semi, the fire department said. Glass on the mirror shattered, flying into the open window and hitting the firefighter in the face. The firefighter, who was not identified in the release, was taken to Eskenazi Hospital. 

The truck held 3,000 gallons of diesel fuel. The fire department said more than 40,000 gallons of water and foam were used to extinguish the blaze. The interstate's guardrail and surrounding vegetation also caught fire.

Fuel made its way into a nearby creek and traveled about a half mile, according to the fire department.

I-465 was closed in both direction for hours as crews worked the scene. Indiana State Police Sgt. John Perrine initially reported no injuries.

The tanker truck fire comes about four months after a truck carrying 4,000 gallons of jet fuel overturned and exploded on a ramp from I-465 southbound to I-70 eastbound. The driver of the truck died about two weeks after the Feb. 20 crash. Saturday's crash was about 2 miles south of February's.

Contact IndyStar digital producer Ethan May at emay@indystar.com or 317-402-1058. Follow him on Twitter: @EthanMayJ.

Contact IndyStar reporter Elizabeth DePompei at 317-444-6196 or edepompei@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter: @edepompei.