Propane truck fire closes road, forces evacuations in Hoover’s Valley

A propane truck carrying 3,000 gallons of fuel rolled over and ignited in the 2600 block of FM 2342 in Hoover’s Valley on Dec. 17. Photo courtesy of Joshua Nugent
A propane truck hauling 3,000 gallons of fuel rolled over and ignited in Hoover’s Valley just before 9 a.m. Dec. 17, leading to evacuations, a shelter-in-place order, and the closure of FM 2342.
The truck’s driver was transported to a local hospital by Burnet EMS. No details on their status had been released at the time of this story’s publication.
The truck reportedly rolled over after a propane delivery in the 2600 block of FM 2342 near Log Country Cove. The accident’s cause was unknown as of 2 p.m. Tuesday and that section of the road remained closed.
Several homes in the immediate vicinity were evacuated after the accident and a shelter-in-place order was issued for the area. Drivers should avoid the area until the scene is cleared.
According to Granite Shoals Fire Lt. Joshua Nugent, the acting operations incident commander, local fire departments and law enforcement agencies are on the scene with support from hazmat teams out of Leander and Georgetown. The first responders are waiting at a safe distance for the truck to “burn itself out” before mopping up the remains and starting an investigation.
“The scene is stable right now, all crews are safe, evacuations have been put in place, and we have a good operational plan to bring this incident to a close in a safe manner,” Nugent told DailyTrib.com at around 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Nugent said the fire had died down significantly and it could be out by late afternoon. Once it is, hazmat teams will make first contact with the truck and check air conditions to make sure it is safe for firefighters to work the scene.
After the blaze is completely subdued, an investigation into the cause of the accident will begin.