Residents in a DeSoto, Texas, neighborhood had to evacuate Friday after a 5,000-gallon oil tanker caught fire.

“Numerous firefighters and emergency personnel are on the scene in DeSoto, Texas, after a 5,000-gallon oil tanker caught fire, producing large flames and thick, black smoke. Emergency officials have asked nearby residents to evacuate due to the fear of a possible explosion,” Rawsalerts wrote.

“The cause of the fire is under investigation. The city says the truck was carrying diesel fuel. At this time, there is no word on any injuries,” the post added.

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NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth reports:

A small diesel tanker truck caught fire in DeSoto Friday afternoon, forcing firefighters to evacuate a nearby neighborhood.

DeSoto Fire Chief Bryan Southard said the driver of the tanker noticed smoke coming from her engine while stopped at the intersection of Parkerville Road and Cockrell Hill Road.

The engine fire soon spread into the cab and then toward the 5,000-gallon tank full of diesel fuel.

The driver was able to escape without injury before the fire consumed the truck.

Southard said when firefighters arrived they had to use foam to put out the fire because water has little effect on flammable liquids. He said they exhausted their supply of foam and called in help from fire departments in nearby Dallas and Duncanville to assist.

The City of Desoto lifted its evacuation order just before 6:30 p.m. Friday evening.

“All hazards have been mitigated and residents have been allowed back into their homes,” the city wrote on Facebook.

“Always concerned, but we’re glad there wasn’t chemicals burning just the diesel fuel. We’re glad certainly that the driver was safe, and all the neighbors and homes were safe too,” said DeSoto resident Scott Hulbert, according to WFAA. 

Per WFAA:

Desoto Fire Department said the fire started in the engine while the driver was sitting at a red light. Then, it quickly spread to the cab and to the compartments carrying diesel fuel. They said no other cars were involved in the fire, and that the driver of the tanker was not injured.

“When you’re dealing with flammable liquids like that, it really creates a lot of issues because water on flammable liquid doesn’t do any good. Foam becomes our best friend,” said Desoto Fire Chief Bryan Southard.

He told WFAA that crews used foam to try and blanket the fuel and get the fire under control.

“One of our biggest concerns is we have storm drains with runoff, so we’re trying to control the runoff,” Southard said. “We don’t want the diesel getting down into the storm drains.”

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