Published on April 25, 2023
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – On Monday, April 24, 2023, at 5:58 p.m., the Syracuse Fire Department Hazardous Materials Response Team was requested to assist the DeWitt Fire Department with a leaking propane tank at 119 Butternut Drive in DeWitt. Dewitt Fire Department was originally called to the scene to investigate an odor. They investigated and determined the odor was coming from a leaking 250-pound propane cylinder in the backyard of the home. Unable to safely stop the leak, they requested the assistance of Syracuse Fire’s HAZMAT team.
Syracuse Fire’s HAZMAT team arrived on the scene at 6:10 p.m. and immediately went to work to mitigate the hazard. Propane is a flammable gas that is heavier than air. When it is released, it can potentially sink and pool in low-lying areas and cause extremely hazardous conditions. The decision was made to burn off the remaining propane in the tank in a controlled manner, using specialized equipment carried by the HAZMAT company.
Due to the size of the tank, the burn was still ongoing at the time of this release and is expected to continue for a short time longer. Thanks to a coordinated effort by the Syracuse Fire Department HAZMAT team and the Dewitt Fire Department, the incident was managed. The hazard was mitigated without damaging surrounding properties or injuries to civilians or emergency personnel. We thank our partners at DeWitt Fire and Onondaga County 911.