STATE OF VERMONT

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

VERMONT STATE POLICE

 

Road closures, evacuations in place in Irasburg after propane tanker fire

 

IRASBURG, Vermont (Monday, Dec. 4, 2023) — Multiple roads are closed, and evacuations are taking place in Irasburg and Coventry after a propane tanker crash and subsequent fire Monday morning.

 

At about 6:50 a.m. Monday, Dec. 4, 2023, the propane tanker went off the Vermont Route 14 bridge over the Black River in Irasburg and caught fire. The fire was still burning as of 10:30 a.m. Safety mechanisms in the vehicle were damaged in the crash, increasing the possibility of an explosion instead of controlled off-gassing of the propane.

 

The Vermont Hazardous Materials Response Team has been activated, and an expert is en route to the scene from Concord, New Hampshire.

 

No injuries have been reported, including to the driver of the tanker.

 

There are multiple road closures in the area including:

• Vermont Route 14 in Irasburg.

• Vermont Route 58 in Irasburg.

• Alderbrook Road and Vermont Route 14 in Coventry.

• U.S. Route 5 and Vermont Route 14 in Coventry.

 

A one-mile perimeter around the site of the crash has been established, and local fire departments are conducting evacuations within this radius. Two schools inside this zone, the Coventry Village School and the New Hope Bible School, have dismissed children early to go home. The VT ALERT system has been activated to send public safety messages to people in the area.

 

Road closures are expected to continue for a significant time. Members of the public should avoid the area and seek alternate routes.

 

The crash of this commercial motor vehicle is being investigated by the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles Enforcement and Safety Division. First-response agencies on scene include DMV Enforcement, the Vermont State Police, the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department, the Vermont Hazardous Materials Team, and fire departments from Derby Line, Irasburg, Newport and Orleans.

 

The Vermont State Police will release additional information about public safety and road closures related to this incident as the situation develops. Information regarding the crash investigation will be provided by DMV Enforcement.

 

A media availability is expected to be held later today at the Vermont State Police Barracks in Derby. Details will follow in a subsequent release.

 

Photo attached: This image provided by the Irasburg Fire Department shows the scene of a propane tanker crash off Vermont Route 14 into the Black River in Irasburg, Vermont, on Monday morning, Dec. 4, 2023. (Photo courtesy Irasburg Fire Department.)

 

- 30 -