Crime & Safety
Propane Tank Truck Catches Fire on Railroad Tracks Near Dacula (Update)
A leaking relief valve caused fire that closed Winder Highway and disrupted rail traffic.
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Updated
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A truck-mounted propane tank caught on fire late Tuesday morning, impacting rail and highway traffic in the Dacula area.
Fire crews responded around 10 a.m. to the railroad tracks near Circle Drive and Circle Road in Dacula, where a 100-pound propane tank on a CSX maintenance truck was reported on fire. The fire was coming from the relief valve of the propane tank, according to Gwinnett Fire.
Find out what's happening in Daculafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The fire closed traffic on Winder Highway and temporarily ceased rail operations, Gwinnett Fire Capt. Tommy Rutledge said in an email. The fire was under control by 12:30 p.m.
No injuries or evacuation were reported.
Rutledge said the fire was contained to the propane tank and adjacent hydraulic equipment in the back of the truck. There was extensive damage to the tool compartments of the truck.
Fire investigators think hydraulic equipment erupted into a fire and melted the relief valve, causing the escaping propane vapors to ignite.
“The fact that the escaping gas was burning itself off helped to minimize any immediate hazard,” said Rutledge said.
Firefighters kept water on the tank and allowed the vapors to burn out.
The maintenance truck was removed from the tracks and the roadway was reopened by 1 p.m.
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Previous post
Gwinnett County firefighters are on the scene of a propane tank fire on railroad tracks near Dacula.
Gwinnett Fire Capt. Tommy Rutledge said a 100-pound propane tank being carried on a CSX maintenance truck was reported on fire around 10 a.m. at Circle Drive and Circle Road in Dacula. Crews were still battling the fire as of 11 a.m., Rutledge said in an email.
No injuries or evacuations have been reported. Highway 29 is closed between Circle Drive/Road and Highway 316, and traffic is being diverted away from the scene.
From Rutledge:
“Firefighters were immediately met with an access issue due to the truck being on the tracks (off the roadway) in a wooded area. The fire is burning from the relief valve on the tank itself and not the actual truck. Firefighters are applying water with hose lines to keep the tank cool and allowing the propane inside the tank to burn itself off instead of escaping into the atmosphere.”
The scene is located just off Winder Highway near the Waffle House.
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