Van Fire Prompts Haz-Mat Response, Closes Route 31 Off-Ramp: Officials

CRYSTAL LAKE, IL — A contractor van was destroyed in a fire Sunday afternoon on a Route 31 off-ramp, leading to a hazardous materials response that kept the ramp closed for several hours, fire officials said.

Crystal Lake Fire Rescue crews were called to the southbound Route 31 off-ramp near the intersection of Northwest Highway at about 2:30 p.m. Sunday for a reported vehicle fire. When firefighters arrived, they found a contractor van fully engulfed in flames on the shoulder of the off-ramp.

The driver had escaped before crews arrived and was not injured, according to a news release.

While firefighters were working to put out the blaze, the van's gasoline tank ruptured, spilling an estimated 30 gallons of burning fuel onto the roadway and into a nearby grassy area. Firefighters used alcohol-resistant aqueous film-forming foam to extinguish the blaze, according to a news release.

The fire was declared under control at 3:14 p.m., though crews remained on scene to extinguish hot spots and flare-ups. The southbound Route 31 off-ramp reopened around 9:30 p.m.

Cleanup Efforts

The contractor that owns the van was required to hire a hazardous materials cleanup company to remove the spilled gasoline and firefighting foam, according to a news release.

Officials said the cleanup company contained and neutralized the spill, and no gasoline, firefighting foam or other hazardous materials entered nearby waterways or storm sewers. The contamination was limited to a small section of the off-ramp and an adjacent grassy area.

The Illinois Emergency Management Agency, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and Illinois Department of Transportation were among the agencies notified of the incident.

The cause of the fire remains undetermined pending any further investigation by the contractor's insurance company.