Port of Wilmington evacuated after fuel spill Friday morning

The Port of Wilmington was evacuated after a crash caused about 500 gallons of fuel to spill Friday morning. 

No injuries have been reported and Wilmington firefighters said the fuel is being contained. 

"Measures were taken to secure all the leaking fuel from reaching any storm drains or environmentally sensitive areas," said Lt. Andrew Cavanaugh, a Wilmington Fire Department spokesman.

Firefighters were dispatched to the port shortly before 9 a.m. for a report that 500 to 1,000 gallons of gasoline was spilling from an 8,500-gallon tractor-trailer tanker that had been involved in a minor collision.

Arriving firefighters confirmed that about 500 gallons of fuel had already leaked from the trailer, Cavanaugh said. 

Fire department crews deployed fire hose lines as a protective measure and began securing the area. Additional resources were requested, bringing the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Belvedere Fire Company's Hazardous Material Response Unit and the Delaware State Fire School.

Terminal Avenue, which leads into the port, was lined with tractor-trailers and other motorists who were expecting to enter the facility. They were being turned away.  

The spill came two days after multiple federal agencies conducted a surprise compliance inspection at the port's federally bonded warehouses. An official with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which led the surprise inspections, reported seizing fentanyl-laced heroin and marijuana during the probe.