A tank containing liquid oxygen rolled off of a flatbed truck Tuesday on a highway in Auburn, Massachusetts, fire officials said, prompting a hazardous materials response. The incident happened on Interstate 290 eastbound by the on-ramp from Route 12, fire officials said on social media at 6:25 p.m. People were asked to avoid the area. The Auburn Fire Department initially said an unknown substance was emitting from the tanker, resulting in a Tier 1 hazardous materials response being requested. A tier 1 hazmat situation in Massachusetts is a more limited response to “Suspicious Substances, Open or Loose Suspicious Powders,” according to the state website. Fire officials later determined that the tank, which was not placarded, contained liquid oxygen. No further information was immediately available.
