Update 1pm
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RUNNING fuel fires and environmental damage were among the concerns when firefighters arrived at an early morning petrol tanker blaze on the Mitchell Highway.
The triple-0 call at 10.49pm on Monday put emergency services personnel in Bathurst and Orange on alert with crews from both cities rushing to the scene at The Rocks.
Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) Orange brigade Station Officer Matt Jeffery was among the firefighters who attended the scene which was located 20 kilometres.
“Because of the topography we were pulled over in the westbound breakdown lane,” he said.
“We were located about 70 metres from the fire.”
Station Officer Jeffery said crews were tasked to fight the blaze from their location which downhill from the petrol tanker.
He said the incident was not only a safety concern for firefighters, but also the nearby environment.
“Our danger was if it [the fire] did break the tanker, we’d have a running fuel fire down the highway towards us,” he said.
“There was 34,000 litres of fuel and that would lead to a huge environmental contamination.”
Station Officer Jeffery said that the FRNSW truck from Orange only holds 2000 litres of water to fight the blaze and running out of water was a major concern.
“We estimate we only had 300 litres of water when Lucknow [Rural Fire Brigade] arrived on scene,” he said.
Earlier
A BURNT-OUT petrol tanker remains on the Mitchell Highway between Bathurst and Orange following an overnight fire.
Multiple triple-0 calls were received to the incident at 10.49pm with reports of a petrol tanker alight.
Fire and Rescue NSW Station Officer Sandy Collins said firefighting crews along with the NSW Rural Fire Service, police and ambulance were called to the scene.
“The whole front of the cabin was well alight and beginning to impinge on the actual tanker,” he said.
“There were a lot of explosions and that was the tyres exploding.
It had the potential to be a dangerous situation.
- Fire and Rescue NSW Station Officer Sandy Collins
“It had the potential to be a dangerous situation.”
The truck was carrying thousands of litres of fuel, with two of its four tanks full.
“One burnt away and the diesel fuel burnt, the other one was saved,” Station Officer Collins said.
“The whole prime mover was completely destroyed.”
Station Officer Collins said the driver of the westbound truck stopped the vehicle at The Rocks, just prior to the Beekeeper’s Inn.
“The driver was able to pull his vehicle over and stop and get out,” he said.
The driver was not injured during the incident.
The Mitchell Highway was closed in both directions for three house following the blaze.
At 6.30am on Tuesday, one westbound lane remains closed.
Station Officer Collins said the fuel company would attend the site later today for salvage operations.