Fire Department

A stretch of High Point Road was shut down Tuesday morning as the Madison Fire Department responded to a significant gasoline spill, where an estimated 50 gallons of gasoline went into a storm drain and spilled into the underground municipal sewer system.

Upon arrival, Engine Company 12 met with the tanker truck driver on scene, who already took some measures to contain and mitigate the gasoline that still remained in the gutter. Firefighters also asked that the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources be notified of the situation.

Checking nearby sewer access points, firefighters estimated the spill traveled from the Kwik Trip at 7717 Mineral Point Road to the northwest corner of Mineral Point Road and High Point Road. A private clean-up crew was assembled and dispatched to the scene, and City Engineering was asked to respond and assist in mapping the underground storm sewer plumbing.

The Madison Fire Department’s Hazardous Incident Team dropped two absorbent booms inside a manhole just outside the perimeter of the spill to ensure it would remain contained if it continued to spread. Meanwhile, the private clean-up crew contracted by Kwik Trip arrived and began flushing and suctioning the storm sewer system.

Firefighters remained on scene for additional fire protection. Eventually, the gasoline was successfully extracted from underground, and crews confirmed no environmental hazards remained. Firefighters cleared the scene at 4:17 p.m.