LINDEN, N.J. — A box truck carrying hazardous materials erupted in flames Saturday morning on Route 1, prompting full highway closures, a business evacuation, and a multi-agency hazardous materials response, officials said.
Emergency crews were dispatched around 11:20 a.m. to the 800 block of West Edgar Road, where they found the cargo section of a southbound International box truck fully engulfed. The truck was transporting motor oil, acetylene, and oxygen, which fueled the blaze and caused it to spread to a utility pole, overhead wires, and nearby grass.
The fire led to the evacuation of the Wawa store at 800 W. Edgar Road, and both directions of Route 1 were shut down. The Linden Fire Department, with assistance from Union County Fire Mutual Aid, took nearly an hour to bring the fire under control.
About 250 gallons of motor oil spilled into the roadway and a rainwater basin. Union County Hazmat responded to oversee cleanup by a private contractor. The majority of Route 1 reopened by 3:15 p.m., but a southbound lane and shoulder remained closed until approximately 6:30 p.m.
The following morning, oil from the spill was found in a nearby river off Winans Avenue, and an underflow dam was placed to contain it for cleanup. No injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
