Crews faced a long day & night when tanker overturned

HARRISBURG, New York (WWNY) - Firefighters and other emergency responders were at the scene for 17 hours when a 13,000-gallon tractor-trailer tanker overturned in Lewis County Wednesday morning.

That’s according to a report by the Lowville Fire Department, which was first on the scene on State Route 177 in the town of Harrisburg around 10 a.m.

Fuel leaked out of the truck, but it was later determined to be from the truck’s own tank, not from the trailer tank.

Not knowing that at the time, Lowville Fire Chief Joseph Austin called in foam-making equipment from the city of Watertown and Fort Drum fire departments. Foam is the best way to combat fires fueled by gasoline and other fuels.

Pumps were set up at a pond about two miles away and tankers brought water to supply the foam machines. Tankers were called in from fire departments in Martinsburg, New Bremen, Glenfield, Castorland, Lorraine, Adams Center, and Rodman.

Sunoco, which owned the tractor-trailer, called in other tankers. Holes were carefully drilled into the overturned trailer to remove the fuel, which was hauled away by the other tankers.

Firefighters were on the scene until 2:30 a.m. on Thursday. The highway was reopened around 6 a.m.