Part of Route 31 was shut down for over six hours in Crystal Lake after a work van became fully engulfed in flames and a hazardous materials situation unfolded, fire officials said.
The Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department and Crystal Lake Police Department responded around 2:56 p.m. Tuesday to the area of Route 14 and Route 31 in Crystal Lake for a report of a vehicle fire.
Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department Battalion Chief Brian Tamason said crews arrived and found the fire on the southbound off-ramp of Route 31 near Route 14, also known as Northwest Highway.
A contractor van was parked on the side of the off-ramp and was fully engulfed in flames.
The driver of the vehicle was found walking around and uninjured at the scene, Tamason said.
A passerby told Lake and McHenry County Scanner that the vehicle belonged to OnCourse Home Solutions and it was “totally engulfed” when they drove past, forcing them to divert.
An additional fire engine and a fire tender truck were called to the scene due to the distance of the nearest fire hydrant and the need for additional resources.
Tamason said firefighters were working to extinguish the fire when the gasoline tank ruptured.
The leak caused approximately 30 gallons of gasoline, which was burning, to spill onto the roadway.
The gasoline also partially got into an adjacent grassy area, Tamason said.
Firefighters extinguished the fire with a foam solution and the fire was brought under control around 3:15 p.m.
Fire crews continued to extinguish isolated hotspots and flare-ups until it was fully extinguished.
The contractor company that owns the van was told to contact its hazardous materials spill company for the cleanup of the van’s gasoline and the firefighting foam, Tamason said.
The Illinois Emergency Management Agency, Environmental Protection Agency and Illinois Department of Transportation were notified about the incident.
The hazardous materials mitigation company responded and mitigated, neutralized and cleaned up the spill in the affected area.
Tamason said no gasoline, foam or other dangerous materials entered any waterway or sewer system.
The materials were isolated to a small area of the paved off-ramp and a small section of a grassy area adjacent to it.
The off-ramp remained shut down during the cleanup operation and was reopened around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday.
The cause of the fire is currently undetermined but it is possible that further investigation by insurance company investigators will be conducted, Tamason said.