| At 4:20 PM, our department and the Chester County Hazmat Team were alerted for a hazardous materials incident on Platinum Drive in the new Phoenixville Heights Development. The caller reported a 60-gallon propane cylinder fell on its side, rolled down a driveway, and was actively leaking.
Chief, Deputy, Engine, Rescue, Utility 65-2, and MICU 65-2 responded to the incident. Engine 65 arrived to find a 120-gallon propane cylinder on its side with an uncontrolled leak. The cylinder, supplying two salamander heaters, was located in a driveway which was part of a 10-unit row of townhouses still under construction. The supply line was severed causing the leak and the site manager reported that their attempts to close the valve were unsuccessful. Engine 65 secured a water supply using 3-inch line that was hand jacked to a nearby hydrant and a 200-foot 1.75-inch line was stretched to provide a fog spray over the leaking cylinder. Firefighters checked the entire row of townhouses for the presence of propane, none was found. Hazmat Chief 15 and an accompanying hazmat specialist were able to control the leaking cylinder at the valve. Additional responding county hazmat units were canceled. The propane cylinder was righted and secured and the construction site manager waited for the propane company to arrive on location.
No evacuations were needed as the row of townhouses were not occupied and the construction crew evacuated on their own. Traffic was controlled around the scene by firefighters with assistance from Phoenixville Police. There were no injuries, and our units cleared the scene in under an hour. |
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