Residents along Route 15 in Frederick, Maryland are demanding safety changes after a tanker truck crashed into a tree and exploded Saturday just before noon.
When fire rescuers arrived on scene, in the area of Rosemont and Schley Ave., they found the tanker truck hauling flammable liquid engulfed in flames. The blaze caused damage to three homes and three cars located in the 500 block of Apple Avenue. One of the houses was deemed inhabitable Saturday evening.
Sandra Bynaker owns one of the homes that was damaged by the flames. The heat from the fire fueled by what Frederick officials are calling a "commonly carried flammable liquid" melted parts of the exterior walls of her home and nearby cars.
"I was very scared. I thought it was my house," said Bynaker whose been living in the neighborhood for two years. The Frederick resident says she was out to lunch when she received a call from her friend about a fire near her home.
"If the tree wasn't there it could have been in somebody else's house," Bynaker says the deadly incident is just another example of why neighbors are demanding improved safety measures along Route 15.
"I am hoping something can be changed by this. I am going to say they need to put a wall up before this happens again." Bynaker says her neighbors are in conversation to start a petition to build a wall that would divide their street from the busy highway.
Officials have yet to identify the cause of the crash that lead to the explosion.
Frederick County Fire Chief Tom Coe said cleaning efforts will continue until they extract all contaminated material from the area. He assured the public during a Saturday evening news conference that an "environmentally friendly" foam was used to contain the flames. Residue from the foam was found in Carroll Creek, according to Coe, who said local officials were attempting to stop the material from spreading.
The Mayor of Frederick, Michael O'Connor, says he had heard rumors about potential contamination to the city's drinking water, but denied that there was any risk to the various systems.
"We had no breach of the sanitary system. So nothing into Carroll Creek and nothing into the sewer system. All and all what could have been a tragic incident," said O'Connor.
Frederick officials say they will be monitoring the air quality in the area to determine if there is a risk for residents in the upcoming days.
The Maryland Department of the Environment was on scene, but according to local authorities, federal agencies were not part of their investigation.
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