ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. – A tanker truck hauling gas crashed into a building in New York, sparking a blaze that sent flames about 60 feet into the sky, according to witnesses.
The fire was so intense that the fire chief on the scene said it was bright as day despite responding to the call at 1:30 a.m, WCBS reported.
Fire even was seen coming from manhole covers.
“There was fire everywhere, in the street, the tanker, the two buildings. And when I looked down Sunrise highway, there was fire coming out of seven or eight manhole covers,” Rockville Centre Fire Chief of Department James Avondet told WCBS. “It’s one of the worst things I’ve seen in my 47-year career.”
The tanker held more than 9,000 gallons when it flipped over, Nassau County Chief Fire Marshal Michael Uttaro said, according to The Associated Press. Some of the fuel flowed into the sewer system and into creeks, nearby but there is no threat to the environment or homes, he said.
Officials are not sure what caused the tanker truck to flip, WNBC reported.
The truck’s driver and three firefighters were injured, the AP reported.
Emergency personnel work at the site of gas tanker accident in Rockville Centre, N.Y., Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022. A tanker carrying gasoline lost control, crashed into a vacant building and burst into flames on Long Island early Wednesday, injuring the truck’s driver and three firefighters who responded, authorities said.(AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Emergency personnel work at the site of gas tanker accident in Rockville Centre, N.Y., Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022. A tanker carrying gasoline lost control, crashed into a vacant building and burst into flames on Long Island early Wednesday, injuring the truck’s driver and three firefighters who responded, authorities said.(AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Emergency personnel work to clear the remains of a tanker truck at the site of an accident in Rockville Centre, N.Y., Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022. Authorities in New York say a tanker carrying gasoline lost control, crashed into a vacant building and burst into flames on Long Island, injuring the truck’s driver and three firefighters who responded. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Emergency personnel work at the site of gas tanker accident in Rockville Centre, N.Y., Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022. Authorities in New York say a tanker carrying gasoline lost control, crashed into a vacant building and burst into flames on Long Island, injuring the truck’s driver and three firefighters who responded. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Emergency personnel work to clear the remains of a tanker truck at the site of an accident in Rockville Centre, N.Y., Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022. Authorities in New York say a tanker carrying gasoline lost control, crashed into a vacant building and burst into flames on Long Island, injuring the truck’s driver and three firefighters who responded. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Emergency personnel work at the site of gas tanker accident in Rockville Centre, N.Y., Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022. Authorities in New York say a tanker carrying gasoline lost control, crashed into a vacant building and burst into flames on Long Island, injuring the truck’s driver and three firefighters who responded. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Emergency personnel work at the site of gas tanker accident in Rockville Centre, N.Y., Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022. A tanker carrying gasoline lost control, crashed into a vacant building and burst into flames on Long Island early Wednesday, injuring the truck’s driver and three firefighters who responded, authorities said. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Emergency personnel work at the site of gas tanker accident in Rockville Centre, N.Y., Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022. A tanker carrying gasoline lost control, crashed into a vacant building and burst into flames on Long Island early Wednesday, injuring the truck’s driver and three firefighters who responded, authorities said. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Emergency personnel work to clear the remains of a tanker truck at the site of an accident in Rockville Centre, N.Y., Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022. Authorities in New York say a tanker carrying gasoline lost control, crashed into a vacant building and burst into flames on Long Island, injuring the truck’s driver and three firefighters who responded. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)