BRIGHAM CITY -- A fuel spill shut down a few blocks of Brigham City for several hours on Saturday.
At about 11 a.m., a nozzle came loose from a fuel transport tanker at the Smith's at 156 S. Main St. Fuel spilled out of the tanker until the employee could shut it off, but by then gallons had flowed away from the Smith's and into the storm drain.
Emergency crews immediately went to work trying to seal the contamination. Within the hour, it was trapped between two manholes on the 600 West block of Forest Street.
But the trouble was not over yet.
"If it builds to right consistency with the air and a source of ignition," it could all blow up, said Jim Buchanan, director of the city's emergency services.
The safety engineer and the fuel transport company dispute how much gas was lost.
Safety engineers estimated around 1,200 gallons was lost, but the company estimates only about 100, according to emergency crews on the scene.
By 5:30 p.m., crews were busy at work pumping the trapped fuel out of the sewer system.
Had the fuel ignited, it would have damaged the sewer system and the road, Buchanan said.
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