STATE OF VERMONT

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

VERMONT STATE POLICE

 

Propane tanker fire likely to continue overnight in Irasburg

 

IRASBURG, Vermont (Monday, Dec. 4, 2023) — Evacuations and road closures are expected to remain in place overnight as a propane tanker continues to burn after going off Vermont Route 14 and into the Black River.

 

Crews on scene are continuing to monitor the blaze and take steps to reduce the likelihood of an explosion. An evacuation zone with a one-mile radius from the crash site will remain in effect while the fire keeps burning.

 

The American Red Cross is opening an evacuation shelter at 5:30 p.m. at Irasburg Town Hall. The Vermont Agency of Human Services also is coordinating with the Red Cross. Parents of students at the two schools within the evacuation zone — Coventry Village School and New Hope Bible School — should contact administrators Tuesday morning regarding the status of classes.

 

Vermont Route 14 remains closed south of U.S. Route 5 in Coventry to Vermont Route 58 in Irasburg.

 

The state police will provide further updates as developments warrant.

 

 

***Update No. 1, 1:45 p.m. Monday, Dec. 4, 2023***

A propane tanker that went off Vermont Route 14 early Monday morning and caught fire in the Black River continues to burn this afternoon.

 

Inspection of the vehicle by drone has revealed a puncture in the side of the 10,000-gallon liquid propane gas tanker, significantly reducing the possibility of a catastrophic explosion. As a result of damage to the tanker, the fire likely will continue to burn until the propane has been exhausted.

 

Multiple road closures and a one-mile evacuation zone around the site of the crash remain in place. For those who have been evacuated, warming centers have been established at the Irasburg Town Hall and the Newport City Municipal Building.

 

Representatives of the Vermont State Police, Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles Enforcement and Safety Division, Vermont Hazardous Materials Response Team, and the Irasburg Fire Department will be available to speak with the media at 3 p.m. Monday at the VSP barracks in Derby, located at 35 Crawford Rd.

 

Two photos of the scene provided by the HazMat Team are attached to this release.

 

 

***Initial news release, 10:55 a.m. 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.

 

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.

 

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