Fire involving corrosive liquid closes Coquihalla Highway

A chemical tanker truck that caught on fire and spilled its product closed the Coquihalla Highway on Nov. 28, 2017. (Ram Environmental Response)

The Coquihalla Highway was closed in both directions Tuesday morning between Othello and Merritt after a tractor-trailer carrying a corrosive liquid caught fire near the Carolin Mines exit.

All lanes except for the southbound right lane were reopened by 5:45 p.m.

The blaze broke out between the tractor and its load, according to Emergency Management BC.

Emergency responders set up an 800-metre exclusion zone around the incident to keep the public safe, but lifted it around 3 p.m. once the fire was under control.

The tractor trailer was hauling phenol formaldehyde resin, a synthetic polymer that is corrosive.

Two Environmental Emergency Response Officers that were deployed to the fire determined about 20,000 litres of the corrosive fluid spilled on the ground. Responders used sand to dam the ditch it flowed into, and say it's contained within a 12 metre stretch on the side of the road.

A spill contractor hired by the party responsible for the spill also responded to the incident. They're planning to berm the ditch and use a poly liner to keep the product contained.