South Portland, ME – At 12:40 AM today, the South Portland Fire Department (SPFD) responded to the parking lot at 380 Gorham Road for a report of a tractor trailer fire. Arriving units found a tractor trailer loaded with produce, owned by Done and Out Transport from Lancaster, California, on fire. They extinguished the fire and found two vehicle occupants unharmed; one was evaluated for smoke inhalation but was not transported to the hospital.
The two occupants stated that they were asleep in the vehicle and awoke to the tractor cab full of smoke. Because neither had a cell phone, they ran down the street to alert someone to call 911. During this time, the fire spread from the tractor cab to the trailer.
SPFD arrived and determined that this was a diesel fuel fire. An estimated 70 gallons of diesel fuel were discharged during the fire. Firefighters used 47 gallons of AFFF firefighting foam concentrate to extinguish it. AFFF foam concentrate is a common and effective firefighting substance known to contain PFAS or "forever chemicals.” Firefighters placed containment booms in the gravel wetland and the adjacent branch of Long Creek to contain the fuel that had flowed across the parking area and any residual firefighting foam.
Though responding SPFD units placed absorbent material around nearby catch basins, it has been determined that diesel fuel entered the catch basins and has flowed to the gravel wetland along Philbrook Avenue that was recently completed by the Long Creek Watershed Management District, as well as the nearby branch of Long Creek. Representatives of Maine DEP, the Long Creek Watershed Management District, and City of South Portland Water Resource Protection department are continuing to evaluate and mitigate contamination.
As the discharge of fuel and AFFF foam is not near any public water supplies, SPFD does not believe there is a threat to the public. However, SPFD advises pedestrians to avoid the immediate area while the contamination evaluation and mitigation, and investigation into the cause of the fire, continues. The gravel wetland is fenced off and the vehicle, which is expected to be removed soon, is currently roped off. SPFD commented that due to the extensive damage, the cause of the fire may not be determined.
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