Daily Voice
By Cecilia Levine From Daily Voice
Dozens of North Jersey residents were evacuated Monday morning, Nov. 10, after an excavator struck a 1,000-gallon propane tank, officials said.
The West Milford Fire Department responded to the scene on High Crest Drive around 7:50 a.m., where first-arriving units found the tank leaking, the West Milford Office of Emergency Management said.
An immediate evacuation of the surrounding area was ordered, and approximately 45 homes were cleared, the OEM said. A shelter was set up at the High Crest Lake Club House for displaced residents.
Passaic County Haz-Mat teams and fire units monitored the air quality as the area was secured. The propane contractor later arrived and was able to slow the leak, officials said.
Specialized equipment was brought in to safely burn off the remaining propane. The area was declared safe, and residents were allowed to return to their homes at 4 p.m.
Fire crews remained on scene into the evening as burn-off operations continued, the department said.
Responding agencies included West Milford Fire Companies 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6; West Milford Police; OEM; Fire Marshal’s Office; CERT Team; and First Aid Squad, along with mutual aid from Butler, Bloomingdale, Wanaque, Kinnelon, Parsippany, Highland Lakes, and Greenwood Lake fire departments. Passaic County Sheriff’s Haz-Mat Unit, Fire Coordinators, West Milford Apshawa Company 1 Auxiliary, and North Jersey Fire Canteen also assisted.
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