Cleanup underway after tanker fuel spill near Kittredge

BY DEB HURLEY BROBST DBROBST@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Booms criss-cross a small creek along Kerr Gulch Road near Kittredge on July 10 after a tanker carrying 8,300 gallons of fuel overturned on July 6. e booms absorb any fuel that spilled into the creek.

e driver was taken to the hospital with minor injuries, and it is not known how much fuel leaked out, though it doesn’t appear to be extensive, according to Evergreen Fire/Rescue.

Crews from Evergreen Fire/Rescue and West Metro Fire with help from the Evergreen Metro District and Denver Water were on scene all night on July 6, emptying the tanker. A tow truck uprighted the truck on July 7, and it took time to turn the semi around so it could be towed northbound on Kerr Gulch Road to Evergreen Parkway.

Stacee Martin, an EFR spokeswoman, said the semi was traveling southbound on Kerr Gulch Road and overturned into a ditch near High Road and South Piney Ridge Road. e truck driver indicated he had moved the truck to the shoulder to allow a car to pass, and the soft shoulder gave way, rolling the truck. It landed in a gulley with a nearby small temporary creek that currently has water owing there.

An environmental team provided by O en Petroleum put booms near the crash site and further below the site, said Martin, who observed that the booms near the crash had turned brown on July 7, showing they were picking up the fuel, and the booms further below remained white.

e Canyon Courier reached out to O en Petroleum for more information, but the company has not yet responded.

Evergreen Fire/Rescue received the call at 7:56 p.m. July 6, and it immediately contacted West Metro Fire, which has an expert hazardous materials team, to help at the scene, Martin said. e fuel spill came from a saddle tank, not the main tank, but crews emptied all ve compartments, she said.

“ is is not a normal call for us, and we hit the button to get the cavalry going,” Martin said. “We worked together as a team.” e West Metro hazardous materials team drilled holes into each compartment, sucked the fuel out of the tanks and then plugged the holes so nothing would leak out once the truck was upright, she said. Evergreen Fire/Rescue had re trucks and re ghters on scene in case sparks from the drill caused a re. e fuel was o oaded into another tanker. the truck driver was traveling down Kerr Gulch Road, which is steep and winding near Kittredge.

According to Evergreen Fire/Rescue, Colorado State Patrol is investigating the crash.

Martin added that the incident was hurt, and it was a great team e ort,” she added.

She also thanked neighbors who were very forgiving of the lights, noise and blocked road all night and into the morning.