>>> DENVER 7 NEWS STARTS RIGHT
NOW.
>>> A TANKER TRUCK GOES UP IN
FLAMES NEAR THE TECH CENTER,
SPILLING A THOUSAND GALLONS OF
FUEL AND OIL ALL OVER BUSY I-
25.
THIS MASSIVE FIRE SPREAD TO
BOTH SIDES OF THE INTERSTATE
CAUSING MAJOR BACKUPS FOR
DRIVERS.
THIS IS A VIEW FROM AIR TRACKER
7 AND WHEN YOU SEE THAT BALL OF
FLAMES AND ALL THAT SMOKE, IT
IS UNBELIEVABLE NO ONE DIED OUT
THERE.
>> AND IF THAT DOESN'T GIVE YOU
A CLEAR PICTURE, TAKE A LOOK AT
THESE IMAGES, OUR IT CAMERAS
ARE ROLLING ON EVERY SINGLE
ANGLE.
SOME OF YOU WITNESSED THIS FIRE
FIRSTHAND.
AND SENT US THIS INCREDIBLE
VIDEO FROM THE GROUND.
AND AS WE MENTIONED, THE RUSH
HOUR DRIVE HOME STILL BEING
IMPACTED WITH SO MANY PEOPLE
HAVING TO FIND NEW ROUTES HOME
TONIGHT.
THIS IS A LIVE LOOK RIGHT NOW
AT ORCHARD WHERE CREWS ARE
STILL ON SCENE.
WE HAVE TEAM COVERAGE FOR YOU
TONIGHT, STARTING WITH SHANNON
OGDEN WHO IS LIVE NEAR THE
ACCIDENT SCENE.
SHANNON.
>> GOOD EVENING, JUST OVER MY
LEFT SHOULDER IS WHAT IS LEFT
OF THIS TANKER THAT EXPLODED
SIX HOURS AGO.
THERE IT SITS ON AN EMPTY
NORTHBOUND LANE.
VERY QUICKLY AT THE TOP OF THE
BROADCAST.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF C-DOT IS
HERE.
WHEN DOES NORTHBOUND OPEN,
FIRST OF ALL?
>> WE ARE WAITING TO EVALUATE
THAT.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THAT VEHICLE IS
MELTED DOWN INTO THE PAVEMENT.
WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR IT TO
GET TO 140 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
WE'LL BE ABLE TO ASSESS THE
DAMAGE OF THE PAVEMENT.
>> LAST QUESTION, I HEARD A
FOOT, A LITTLE MORE OF PAVEMENT
MELTED AWAY.
>> THAT'S WHAT WE WILL WAIT TO
ASSESS.
IT'S A QUESTION OF HOW MUCH OF
THAT IS MELTED, WHERE IS IT
MELTED AND HOW LONG WILL IT
TAKE TO GET THAT BACK?
>> GOOD LUCK.
A LONG NIGHT AHEAD.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF C-DOT.
CHANCES ARE, WHETHER YOU WERE
HERE AT THE TIME, WHETHER YOU
LIVE OR WORK ANYWHERE NEAR THIS
AREA, THIS STORY IMPACTS YOU.
AND WE, TONIGHT, WILL EXPLAIN
WHAT HAPPENED AND HELP YOU GET
THROUGH ALL THE THINGS THIS
IMPACTS.
IT IMPACTS A LOT.
WE BEGIN OUR EXHAUSTIVE TEAM
COVERAGE WITH JACLYN ALLEN WHO
HAS BEEN HERE SINCE THE
BEGINNING THIS NOON HOUR.
JACLYN.
>> WE HAVE BEEN WATCHING FROM
THIS SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY.
YOU CAN SEE THE TANKER IS STILL
THERE AND THE DAMAGE THAT IT
DID, IT BURNED SO HOT, IT
DECIMATED THAT MEDIUM.
WE'VE BEEN WATCHING
FIREFIGHTERS GET ON TOP OF IT
AND SPRAY FOAM DOWN INSIDE.
NOW WHILE SOME OF THESE
SOUTHBOUND LANES, THREE OF THE
SOUTHBOUND LANES ARE BACK OPEN.
AS YOU HEARD HIM SAY, THOSE
NORTHBOUND LANES COULD BE
CLOSED FOR HOURS AND YOU HAVE
TO SEE THIS VIDEO TAKEN JUST
MOMENTS AFTER THAT TANKER
CRASH.
TAKE A LOOK AT THIS.
A VIEWER SENT US THIS CLIP.
YOU CAN SEE THE DRIVER JUMPING
OUT OF THE PASSENGER SIDE.
HE'S ROLLING ON THE GROUND,
TRYING TO PUT OUT THE FLAMES
THAT WERE ON HIS CLOTHES.
A GOOD SAMARITAN COMES UP AND
HELPS HIM GET UP AND GET AWAY.
NOW HE WAS TAKEN TO THE
HOSPITAL.
HE WAS ABLE TO WALK AWAY.
WE DON'T KNOW HIS CONDITION
RIGHT NOW.
THIS CRASH HAPPENED JUST BEFORE
NOON WHEN C-DOT SAYS THE FUEL
TANKER LOST CONTROL, CRASHING
INTO THE MEDIAN.
AND TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT
HAPPENED MOMENTS LATER.
WITNESSES REPORT A SERIES OF
EXPLOSIONS.
FLAMES, SMOKE SHOOTING ABOUT 12
STORIES INTO THE AIR.
WE TALKED TO ONE WITNESS ON THE
12th FLOOR WHO WATCHED THE
ACCIDENT HAPPEN IN HIS OFFICE
AND SAW ROADWORKERS RUNNING TO
HELP.
>> ABLE TO GET HIS LEG OUT OF
FIRE VERY QUICKLY.
FROM THERE, JUST TRYING TO
GATHER HIMSELF AND THE OTHER
ROADWORKER GRABBED HIM,
SUPPORTED HIM, AND GOT HIM OUT
OF HARM'S WAY.
>> Reporter: REALLY AMAZING
SITUATION HERE.
THE HIGHWAY CLOSURE TRAPPED
PEOPLE IN THEIR CARS AND
BROUGHT DENVER TO A STANDSTILL
AND WHILE THINGS ARE MOVING
HERE ON THE SOUTHBOUND SIDE, C
DOT IS RECOMMENDING THAT PEOPLE
STAY OUT OF THIS AREA, BECAUSE
AGAIN, IT'S GOING TO BE A
TRAFFIC NIGHTMARE.
AN EPIC TRAFFIC NIGHT MARE.
REPORTING LIVE, DENVER 7.
>> JACLYN, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
FOR ALLOR WORK TODAY.
SOUTHBOUND IS MOVING.
THERE IS SOME ACTION ON THE
NORTHBOUND SIDE.
THEY BRING IN MACHINERY TO
SCRAPE THE FOAM OFF THE
INTERSTATE.
FOR THE FIRST TIME, SOME SIGNS
OF THINGS THAT MAY BE SHIFTING
INTO GEAR.
A TOW TRUCK HAS ARRIVED AND
OF THIS.
SO, THIS HAS REALLY PRESENTED
FIREFIGHTERS WITH SOME VERY
TRICKY SITUATIONS TODAY.
FIRST OF ALL,EXTINCTIONISHING
A FIRE.
>> LIKE YOU SAID, THIS WAS VERY
TRICKY.
DIFFICULT FIRE TO FIGHT HERE.
35 FIREFIGHTERS WERE OUT HERE
BATTLING THIS FIRE, AND OF
COURSE, WE LEARNED IT WAS 1,000
GALLONS OF MIXED OIL AND GAS.
NOW, THIS IS HOW THEY ALL DID
IT.
THEY FIRST DECIDED TO LET IT
BURN.
THAT WASN'T PREDICTABLE,
BECAUSE IT WOULD MEAN IT WOULD
TAKE A COUPLE OF HOURS AND THEY
WANTED THIS PART OF THE HIGHWAY
BACK OPEN, SO THEY WANTED TO
EXPEDITE THE PROCESS.
THEY MOVED TO PLAN B. THE
AIRPORT RESCUE TRUCK TO PUT
FOAM ON THE FUEL.
THEY WANTED TO MAKE SURE IT
DIDN'T CAUSE ANY ENVIRONMENTAL
ISSUE.
SO FIREFIGHTERS HERE BUILT A
DAM TO ISOLATE THAT FUEL.
THEN THEY BROUGHT IN A DIRT
TRUCK TO SOAK UP THAT FUEL AND
SHOVEL IT OUT OF THE HIGHWAY,
WHICH IS WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN
DOING ALL DAY TODAY.
FIREFIGHTERS HAD A CHALLENGE
ACCESSING WATER, BECAUSE
HIGHWAYS DON'T HAVE FIRE
HYDRANTS.
SO TAKE A LISTEN.
>> AND THE FIRE TRUCKS THAT YOU
SEE UP THERE, CARRY ANYWHERE
BETWEEN 300 AND 750-GALLONS.
THAT GOES VERY FAST.
SO, WHAT YOU MAY BE ABLE TO
NOTICE IS A LONG STRETCH OF
HOLES FROM THOSE FIRE TRUCKS
DOWN THE RAMP TO ANOTHER FIRE
TRUCK THAT IS PUMPING WATER
FROM A FIRE HYDRANT ON ORCHARD
ROAD.
>> CERTAINLY LOTS OF WORK THAT
WE APPRECIATE.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THE RESULT OF
THAT WORK.
IT'S A VERY JOB WELL DONE FOR
THESE FIREFIGHTERS TODAY.
ALSO, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE
SCENE HERE.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT FIRE TRUCKS,
WHEN I LOOK AT THIS BROKEN
CONCRETE ACROSS THE STREET FROM
ME, I JUST CAN'T IMAGINE THAT
ONLY ONE PERSON, JUST ONE
PERSON WALKED AWAY WITH
INJURIES AND WE ARE LEARNING
THAT HE IS RECOVERING TONIGHT.
SO, IT'S A MIRACLE THAT NOBODY
ELSE WAS HURT IN THIS.
SHANNON.
>> COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH, MUCH
WORSE.
SALLY, THANK YOU FOR THAT, FOR
ALL YOUR WORK TODAY.
WE ARE BACK HERE LIVE ON I-25.
THE TOW TRUCK JUST ARRIVED.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR HAD TO GET
THE RECORDS COOLED DOWN TO 140
DEGREES BEFORE THE TOW TRUCK
COULD COME IN.
AND IT LOOKS LIKE THEY ARE
CLOSE, IF NOT ALREADY THERE AND
START TO GET THAT WRECK OUT OF
THERE.
JENNIFER JOINS US TALKING TO C-
DOT ABOUT INCREDIBLE WORK THAT
THE AGENCY HAS TO GET THAT
OPEN.
>> WE ALSO LEARNED THAT C-DOT'S
MAINTENANCE WORKERS, THE ONE
WHO PULLED THE TRUCK DRIVER OUT
OF THE CAR.
VERY REMARKABLE.
WE ARE LEARNING MORE ABOUT
THAT.
BUT, WE ALSO GOT AN UPDATE FROM
C DOT ABOUT THE ROADS AND WANT
TO WALK YOU THROUGH THIS
DIAGRAM.
IT SHOWS YOU WHAT'S GOING ON.
THERE ARE THREE SOUTHBOUND
LANES, 5, 4, AND 3 ALL OPEN ON
I-25.
THE FIVE NORTHBOUND LANES
REMAIN CLOSED DOWN.
SOUNDS LIKE THEY ARE GETTING
CLOSE TO OPEN LANES 4 AND 5.
THEIR GOAL IS TO HAVE THAT DONE
BY 6. BUT THE INVESTIGATION AND
THE CLEANUP HAS LASTED LONGER
THAN THEY THOUGHT.
SO WHEN THEY WILL REOPEN IS
STILL OUT THERE, BUT THEIR HOPE
IS TO DO THAT AT SOME POINT.
THE OTHER BIG QUESTION IS HOW
MUCH DAMAGE THERE IS TO THIS
ROAD.
AND IS IT STRUCTURALLY SOUND?
C DOT SAYS THEY ARE TRYING TO
DETERMINE HOW MUCH ASPHALT
THEY'LL NEED TO REPAIR THIS
ROAD.
BUT IT COULD TAKE UP TO 100
TONS OF ASPHALT.
DEPENDING ON HOW FAR THE FIRE
BURNED DOWN IN THE ASPHALT.
THEY HOPE TO DO THIS WORK
OVERNIGHT.
WE ALSO LEARNED 250,000 CARS
DRIVE ON THIS STRETCH OF I-25
EVERY DAY.
SO, ANYONE TRYING TO GET OUT OF
DOWNTOWN TONIGHT IS ASKED TO
AVOID THE AREA AND PREPARE FOR
BACKUPS ALL OVER THE CITY.
NOW BACK HERE AT C-DOT
HEADQUARTERS, THEY HOPE TO HAVE
ALL FIVE LANES, SO TEN LANES IN
BOTH DIRECTIONS, OPEN BY
TOMORROW MORNING'S RUSH HOUR.
IT WILL ALL DEPEND ON HOW BAD
THAT DAMAGE IS AND HOW QUICKLY
THEY CAN GET THE ROAD PATCHED.
NOW DENVER 7 TRAFFIC REPORTER,
JASON, HAS BEEN MONITORING
TRAFFIC ALL AFTERNOON.
JASON, HOW IS IT LOOKING NOW?
>> JENNIFER, OBVIOUSLY, IT'S A
VERY BAD SITUATION ON THE SIDE
STREETS AND SOUNDS
COUNTERINTUITIVE.
I'M GOING TO TELL YOU, IF
YOU'RE LEAVING DOWNTOWN, USE I-
25.
IT'S THE SIDE STREETS THAT ARE
REALLY BAD.
WITH NORTHBOUND STILL CLOSED,
I'M GOING TO SUGGEST IF YOU CAN
GO FAR OUT TO THE WEST, LIKE
USING WAZWORTH, BECAUSE
BROADWAY, SANTA FE AND
UNIVERSITY ARE AWFUL IGHT NOW.
AND THE ROADS IN THE DENVER
TECH CENTER ARE GETTING GUMMED
UP PRETTY BADLY.
SO I WOULD SAY BUCKLY OR
CHAMBERS OUT TO THE EAST ARE
ALSO GREAT WAYS TO GET AROUND
THIS.
IT WILL HELP YOU GET AWAY FROM
THIS TRAFFIC JAM A LITTLE BIT
FASTER.
OF COURSE, WILL IT ALL OPEN
TOMORROW MORNING?
I'LL HAVE ALL THOSE DETAILS AT
4:30 TOMORROW MORNING.
JACE LARSON HAS BEEN CHECKING
IN.
IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S UP AND
RUNNING AND THAT MIGHT BE A
GOOD OPTION HERE TODAY.
>> YES, IT WAS UP AND RUNNING
JUST BEFORE RUSH HOUR,
ACTUALLY, OCCURRED TODAY.
THAT WAS AFTER IT WAS SHUT DOWN
FOR THREE HOURS.
>> AS THE FIRE RAGED AND
TRAFFIC WAS BLOCKED, A POLICE
OFFICER THOUGHT HE SAW DAMAGE
TO THE LIGHT RAIL POWER LINES.
THAT CAUSED CONCERN ABOUT
REOPENING THE E, F, AND R LINES
ONCE THE FIREFIGHTERS KNOCKED
DOWN THE FLAMES.
>> SCOTT TOOK THIS VIDEO FROM A
TRAIN THAT WAS GOING BY THE
FIRE EARLY ON.
YOU CAN SEE THE BLACK SMOKE
THAT THE TRAIN GOES THROUGH.
>> OUR TEAMS TOOK A VEHICLE OUT
AND INSPECTED IT AND FOUND
THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE
OVERHEAD CABINET SYSTEM.
>> FINDING NO PROBLEMS, SO IT
HAD TRAINS STAGED AND READY TO
GO BACK INTO SERVICE RIGHT
AWAY.
AS VIEWERS WATCH THE FIRE
FIGHTING EFFORTS FROM THE
PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE, THE FIRST
TRAINS STARTED RUNNING AGAIN AT
3:15.
>>> SO, I THINK IF YOU GOT IT
UP AND RUNNING A LITTLE
QUICKER.
>> YOU KNOW, IT DIDN'T TAKE
CREWS LONG.
20 MINUTES FOR THEM TO GET ALL
OF THE TRAINS UP AND RUNNING ON
THEIR REGULAR SCHEDULE.
AS I MENTIONED, THAT'S BECAUSE
THEY ANTICIPATED THAT THERE
WASN'T GOING TO BE DAMAGE.
THEY HAD TRAINS ON BOTH SIDES
OF THE CLOSURE READY TO GO.
THEY KNEW --
>> THE ONLY THING WE GOT, JACE
LARSON, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
JACLYN, JASON, AND JACE, A HECK
OF A TEAM WE HAVE COVERING THIS
STORY FOR YOU TONIGHT.
AS WE TOSS IT BACK TO AARON, WE
HAVE A GOOD PHOTO COLLECTION OF
WHAT HAPPENED TODAY, THANKS TO
THE VIEWERS.
KEEP THE PHOTOS COMING, AND
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