After a tense few hours following a propane truck crash, Knox County residents can breathe easier as the evacuation order has been lifted and E. Emory Road reopens. The incident occurred around 9:30 a.m. yesterday when an overturned 1,800-gallon propane truck caught fire near the 9400 block of E. Emory Road, according to WVLT.
First responders, standing by from Rural Metro Fire's nearby Station 33, were dispatched to the scene. Crews worked quickly to cool the tank, preventing what could have been a disastrous explosion. "We were able to keep the tank cool, which is what you want. You don’t want it to overheat," Captain Jeff Bagwell from Rural Metro told WVLT. Thankfully, the truck’s driver escaped unharmed.
The Knoxville Utilities Board cooperated by de-energizing power lines in the vicinity as a precaution, restoring power once the area was deemed safe. "Thank the Lord for keeping me and the community I serve safe today," the propane truck driver, James Mitchell, said as per WATE.
A one-mile radius around the crash site was evacuated by the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, including precautionary measures taken at Corryton Elementary School, which sheltered in place. But by 2:20 p.m., the dangerous situation had been mitigated, and residents could return to their homes, as reported by Knox News. Rural Metro noted that the propane was successfully transferred to a new truck. Their major concern was avoiding a "boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion," which "would have been catastrophic for our community."
