YOU'RE WATCHING EYEWITNESS
NEWS LIVE AT 5.
THIS STORY HAS BEEN
BREAKING RIGHT BEFORE OUR EYES
THIS AFTERNOON.
FIREFIGHTERS RUSHING OVER TO
TRY TO CONTAIN THIS.
IT'S A FIRE ON THE SIDE OF
HIGHWAY 16.
NOW THIS IS THE SECOND TIME
A TANKER CRASHED AND SPILLED
GAS INTO A LOCAL CREEK.
THIS ONE HAPPENED NEAR THE WEST
PORT COMMUNITY AROUND 2:30 THIS
AFTERNOON.
SETH LEMON IS OUT THERE LIVE
TONIGHT.
KEN, IT WAS AFTER THE CRASH
THAT YOU SAW IT BURST INTO
FLAMES.
Reporter: YEAH, I SAW THAT
AND CREWS ARE GETTING CONTROL
OF THE SCENE.
RIGHT BACK HERE, ACCIDENT HERE
ON HIGHWAY 16, THE TANKER TRUCK
RIGHT BACK THERE, ONE PERSON
DIED IN THE CRASH.
THEY WERE ABLE TO GET THAT
INDIVIDUAL OUT BEFORE THE FIRE
STARTED AND I WANT YOU TO TAKE
A LOOK FROM CHOPPER 9 AND YOU
CAN SEE HOW FAR IT EXTENDS.
YOU SEE THE CREEK, PART OF THE
CREEK NOW ON FIRE IN THIS AREA.
THIS WAS JUST A SIMPLE ACCIDENT
SCENE FOR A WHILE HERE.
AS MATTER OF FACT THAT WAS
NEARBY WHEN I WAS SHOOTING AND
THE CREWS TOLD ME TO BACK UP
AND I HEARD A SOUND LIKE A DOOR
CLOSING AND I WANT TO TAKE YOU
TO WHAT I SAW.
SUDDENLY FLAMES WERE UP AND
FIREFIGHTERS MOVING EVERYWHERE.
MOVING TRUCKS AND BACKING UP.
I SUDDENLY GET THIS THING
STABILIZED AND YOU CAN SEE IT
FLARE UP AGAIN AND AGAIN AND
AGAIN RIGHT OVER THIS TANKER,
HIT THE GRASS IN THE AREA AND
AT ONE POINT I COULD ACTUALLY
HEAR THOSE SOUNDS AGAIN OFF IN
THE DISTANCE AND I COULD SEE A
KOL PLUME OF GRAY SMOKE PULLING
UP.
WE KNOW THIS TANKER HAD 7 -- 6
TO 7,000 GALLONS WORTH OF FUEL
ON IT.
THEY WERE GOING TO OFF-LOAD AND
WORRISOME OF IT SPILLED ON TO
KILLIAN CREEK AND I'M TOLD THEY
ARE WORKING WITH EMERGENCY
OFFICIALS ON CLEAN-UP.
IT HAS TO LOOK VERY DIFFERENT
RIGHT NOW SINCE ALL OF IT
HAPPENED IN THIS AREA.
I WAS WAITING FOR AN UPDATE FOR
AN EMERGENCY OFFICIAL THAT GOT
ON THE SCENE JUST A LITTLE
WHILE AGO, TRYING TO GET THE
LATEST WHEN THIS SUDDENLY
HAPPENED AND IT CHANGED
EVERYTHING.
AT THE LATEST UPDATE BEFORE
THIS ALL STARTED I WAS TOLD IT
WOULD BE HOURS BEFORE THEY HAD
THE AREAS HIGHWAY 16 AND SAINT
JAMES CHURCH ROAD OPEN AGAIN
AND THAT HAS TO BE DELAYED EVEN
MORE.
TRAFFIC BEING DIVERTED IN
DENVER RIGHT AT HIGHWAY 73.
IT WILL CAUSE A HUGE TRAFFIC
JAM AND WE'RE NOT SURE OF THE
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT YET.
WE'RE HERE WITH CHOPPER 9 IN
THE AIR AND ME ON THE GROUND
WAIT ING FOR MORE INFORMATION.
BACK TO YOU.
YOU CAN SEE THE FIRE
CONTINUING TO BURN HERE ON
HIGHWAY 16 IN LINCOLN COUNTY.
YOU CAN IMAGINE, OF COURSE
FIREFIGHTERS KNEW THIS WAS A
RISK.
KEN TALKING ABOUT A SOUND THAT
SOUNDED LIKE A DOOR CLOSING.
THAT'S WHEN FLAMES SOMETIMES
IGNITE.
THE FIREFIGHTERS ARE ATTACKING
WITH THE FOAM FROM BOTH SIDES
OF THE TANKER TRUCK.
ANY TIME FOR WHEN HIGHWAY 16
WILL BE REOPENED HAS BEEN
PUSHED BACK IMMENSELY.
THE OTHER CONCERNS ARE A NEARBY
CREEK AND CONCERNS CONTAINING
THAT AND THAT SWITCHED OVER TO
MAKE SURE THERE ARE NO FLAMES
OR EXPLOSIONS HERE.
ALL RIGHT.
AGAIN FROM CHOPPER 9, LOOKS
LIKE THEY'RE MAKING PROGRESS,
FIREFIGHTERS THERE ON THE SCENE
AND I DID NOTE FLAMES DOWN IN
THE AREA IN THE WOODS.
SOME OF THE FUEL CATCHING FIRE.
YOU CAN SEE THE NATURAL FLOW OF
THE GAS WOULD FOLLOW THE
NATURAL FLOW OF WATER THAT
COULD BE GOING TO THE CREEK
THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT.
FVRTS ARE TRYING TO GET THAT
UNDER CONTROL AS WELL.
I WANT YOU TO STAY WITH US HERE
AT CHANNEL 9 AND CONTINUE TO
DIP BACK INTO THE LIVE
PICTURES.
IT'S GOING QUITE A WAYS INTO
THE WOODS.
THAT'S PROBABLY AT LEAST 200
YARDS FROM WHERE KEN IS
HEARING.
IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, WE'RE
SEEING THE FLAMES FROM THE FIRE
ACTUALLY GOING SEVERAL HUNDRED
YARDS INTO THE WOODS AND I'M
ASSUMING FOLLOWING THE LOCAL
CREEK OR WATERWAY, I DOUBT YOU
CAN SEE IT FROM WHERE YOU ARE
STANDING BUT LIKE A LINE OF
FIRE THAT'S GOING INTO THE
WOODS SEVERAL HUNDRED YARDS
RIGHT NOW.
FIREFIGHTERS ARE FOCUSED ON THE
TANKER TRUCK.
WE'RE SEEING REALLY BIG FLAMES
AND MAJOR CONCERN THAT THIS
WILL SPREAD.
KEN, WHAT CAN YOU TELL US?
Reporter: YEAH, I CAN TELL
YOU THAT EARLIER, THEY WERE
REALLY FOCUSED ON THE GRASS AND
THEY WERE FOCUSED ON GETTING
DOWN TO THE RIVER AND LIKE YOU
SAID, JUST WITHIN THE LAST FEW
SECONDS, WHILE I WAS WITH YOU
LIVE, THEY IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED
THE FOCUS AND WENT BACK OVER TO
THE TANKER TRUCK.
I WANT TO SHOW YOU REAL QUICK
WHAT THEY ARE DOING RIGHT NOW.
PUTTING WATER ON THAT RIGHT
THIS AREA HERE AND YOU CAN SEE
THAT TRUCK AGAIN FORTUNATELY,
THE ONE INDIVIDUAL WHO DIED IN
THIS TRUCK, THEY WERE ABLE TO
GET THE BODY OUT BEFORE ALL OF
THIS STARTED BUT THEY WERE
CONCERNED THAT SOMETHING COULD
IGNITE THE FLAMES.
WE KNOW WITH THIS SITUATION, WE
HAVE THIS MUCH FUEL EVEN JUST
THE FUMES ALONE, ANY SPARK CAN
CAUSE THAT FIRE TO START AND
THIS THING SUDDENLY WENT UP AND
I WANT TO SHOW YOU BACK OVER
HERE, CHOPPER 9 BUT FROM A
GROUND EYE VIEW, THIS IS WHAT I
SEE HERE.
THIS IS SMOKE BACK OVER NEAR
THE CREEK IN THE AREA YOU SPOKE
ABOUT 200 YARDS AWAY AND
CHOPPER 9 HAS THE IMAGE THERE
OF THE FLAMES ON THE WATER.
ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT THIS --
A LOT OF TIMES WHEN YOU GET OIL
OR SOMETHING LIKE THIS, IT
STAYS RIGHT ON THE SURFACE.
SO AS THE TRUCK IGNITED, AS
THOSE FLAMES WENT DOWNHILL
ALONG WITH ALL OF THE GAS WE'RE
NOT SURE EXACTLY HOW MUCH OF IT
SPILLED OFF, IT OF COURSE HIT
THE GAS ON THAT WATER THERE AND
CAUSED A FIRE THERE AGAIN.
YOU CAN SEE FIREFIGHTERS HERE
ON THE GROUND RUNNING OVER,
TRYING TO GET THIS UNDER
CONTROL RIGHT NOW.
WE ARE SAFE AT THIS MOMENT BUT
A LITTLE BIT EARLIER, I WAS
OVER NEAR THE TREES NOT VERY
FAR AWAY FROM THIS THING ACROSS
THE STREET AND THEY SUDDENLY
SAID GET BACK, GET BACK.
ONE FIREFIGHTER DID GET A MINOR
INJURY FROM WHAT WE CAN TELL
WHEN THAT HAPPENED.
THEY WERE MOVING ANYTHING AND
EVERYTHING THEY COULD OUT OF
THE WAY TO MAKE SURE NOBODY WAS
HURT AND NONE OF APPARATUS ALSO
CAUGHT ON FIRE.
YOU CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW BAD
THAT WOULD BE IF A FIRE TRUCK
CAUGHT ON FIRE.
I AM WAITING LOOKS LIKE WE MAY
HAVE SOMEBODY TO GET AN UPDATE.
I'LL GET THAT AND COME BACK
WITH NEW INFORMATION.
KEN, IF YOU GET THAT IN THE
NEXT MINUTE OR SO, PERHAPS WE
CAN CARRY THAT LIVE.
GO AHEAD AND PLEASE TRY TO TALK
TO YOUR SOURCES OUT THERE.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN TALK TO
ANDY HOLT WHO'S BEEN UP ABOVE
HERE BUT HE'S BEEN UP ABOVE THE
SCENE FOR SOME TIME.
ANDY, CAN YOU HEAR ME?
ALL RIGHT.
RIGHT NOW PERHAPS HE IS MORE
FOCUSED ON FLYING WHEN
CERTAINLY YOU HAVE OTHER
TRAFFIC UP THERE AS WELL.
KEN SAYING WHEN HE SHOWED UP,
THE TANKER WAS NOT BURNING AND
OF COURSE, AS SHORTLY AFTER HE
GOT THERE WAS TRYING TO GET
VIDEO RECORDED 1 WHEN THE
FLAMES ERUPTED FROM THE TANKER.
I'M TOLD IT IS KILLIAN CREEK
AND THE FUEL FLOATED DOWN INTO.
HIGHWAY 16 AND LINCOLN COUNTY
CLOSED.
A TANKER TRUCK FLIPPED WAS
LEAKING FUEL AND THAT CAUGHT
FIRE AND TRYING TO GET THE
TANKER FIRE CONTAINED BUT
THERE'S A LONG LINE OF FIRE
GOING PROBABLY A QUARTER MILE
AT THIS POINT INTO THE WOODS.
PERHAPS THAT WILL BURN ITSELF
OFF RATHER QUICKLY BUT WE'VE
SEEN PRETTY GOOD FLAMES.
WE HAVE HAD RAIN RECENTLY WHICH
COULD BE GOOD NEWS AND OF
COURSE IF ITS IN A CREEK IT'S
FULL OF WATER AND THEREFORE, IT
WOULD JUST BURN AT THE TOP OF
THE WATER AND PERHAPS BURN
ITSELF OFF.
PROBABLY SOME MORE UNITS COULD
BE ROLLING THIS WAY AS WELL.
ALL RIGHT WE'RE TRYING TO GET
CHOPPER 9 PILOT ANDY HOLT, I
WANT HIS PERSPECTIVE ABOUT
EXACTLY WHEN HE WAS ABLE TO
ARRIVE AT THE SCENE.
ANDY, HEY, IT'S SCOTT I WANTED
TO ASK YOU AT THE POINT YOU GOT
THERE WAS THE TANKER BURNING
AND HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO SEE
HOW THE FLAMES MADE THEIR WAY
DOWN INTO THE CREEK?
WAS IT KIND OF LIKE IN THE
MOVIES WHERE THEY LIGHT
SOMETHING AND IT SNAKES ALONG
THE LINE OF THE GAS?
WHAT DID YOU IS HE UP THERE.
Reporter: WE SAW SMOKE FROM
CHOPPER 9 PAD AS WE TOOK OFF
HEADING THIS WAY, A GOOD 20
MILES AWAY AND GOT ON THE
SCENE, THE CREEK WAS ACTUALLY
ON FIRE BUT THE TRUCK WAS OUT.
AND AS WE WERE TAKING SHOTS OF
THE FLAMES DOWN THE CREEK BED
THERE, THE TANKER ACTUALLY
CAUGHT FIRE AND THEY QUICKLY
PUT THAT OUT.
STILL SOME FLAMES THERE
UNDERNEATH THERE BUT THE CREEK
BED IS ENTIRELY ON FIRE FOR
PROBABLY ABOUT 100 YARDS,
SCOTT, ALL THE WAY FROM THE
TANKER AREA WHERE IT IS LEAKING
INTO THE CREEK ALL THE WAY TO
THE NORTH THERE FOR ABOUT 150
YARDS.
ALL RIGHT CHOPPER 9 PILOT
ANDY HOLT THANK YOU FOR THAT.
THE HOPE WOULD BE SOME COULD
BURN ITSELF OFF.
IT IS SITTING ON TOP AS FUEL
WOULD DO ON TOP OF THE WATER.
QUITE A BIT OF FLAMES NOW.
ERICA IS JOINING US BACK HERE
AT THE DESK.
LOOKS LIKE, ERICA, THEY HAVE
HOSES PULLED OUT INTO THE WOODS
TO TRY AND GET THE CREEK PUT
OUT AND OF COURSE MANY
FIREFIGHTERS BATTLING TO GET
THE TANKER TRUCK PUT OUT.
BUT THEY'VE GOT A PRETTY STEEP
SLOPE IT LOOKS LIKE AND A LONG
LINE OF HOSES TO WORK ON THIS.
IT WOULD ONLY TAKE A MINUTE
FOR ONE OF THE FLAMES TO POP
OVER INTO DRY BRUSH AND REALLY
IGNITE THE AREA.
WE'RE SEEING LARGE PLUMES OF
SMOKE.
WHEN YOU TAKE THE WIDER SHOT,
YOU CAN SEE THE SKYLINE AND
THERE IS A LOT OF SMOKE COMING
UP FROM THE AREA.
WE SAW THE FIREFIGHTERS RUNNING
OVER TO DIFFERENT AREAS, TRYING
TO PUT THIS OUT.
BUT IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'VE GOT A
LONG LINE OF FLAMES THEY NOW
NEED TO CONTAIN.
YOU CAN HEAR OUR CHOPPER PILOT
ANDY HOLT TALKING ABOUT THAT AS
WELL.
YOU CAN SEE IT'S DIM AT SOME
POINTS BUT THEN WHEN YOU REACH
OTHER POINTS, THE FLAMES ARE
VERY, VERY LARGE AND TALL.
AS WE GO BACK TO WHAT STARTED
ALL OF THIS AND IT LOOKS LIKE
MORE FLAMES NOW, SCOTT,
EMITTING FROM THE TAJER TRUCK.
AS THEY ARE CONTINUING TO TRY
TO PUT IT OUT, IT IS RESISTING
BEING DOUSED BY ALL OF THIS.
IT LOOKS LIKE THIS FIRE IS
REALLY GOING TO GIVE
FIREFIGHTERS A FIGHT TO GET IT
OUT COMPLETELY.
I'M TOLD WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO
RACK UP SOME OF THE VIDEO KEN
SHOT OF THE EXPLOSION.
WE'RE ALL SEEING THIS FOR THE
FIRST TIME.
THERE'S WHAT ANDY WAS TALKING
ABOUT HOW THEY WERE TRYING TO
PUT OUT THE CREEK.
THIS IS THE MOMENT WHEN THE
TRUCK, THE TANKER ITSELF CAUGHT
FIRE WHILE THE CREEK WAS
BURNING AND THEY WERE TRYING TO
GET THAT PUT OUT IS WHEN THIS
-- EITHER ERUPTED FOR THE
FIRST TIME OR THEY HAD IT OUT
AND REERUPTED THIS IS THE TIME
KEN LEMON GOT ON THE SCENE.
YOU CAN SEE A LOT OF FUEL IN
THE ROADWAY, A DANGEROUS
SITUATION AS WELL.
KEN IS TALKING TO PEOPLE TO GET
MORE INFORMATION, SOME OF THE
FIREFIGHTERS OUT THERE OF
COURSE ARE BUSY RIGHT THERE.