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Highway 16 at Niton Junction open again after fuel spill

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A crash between two semis caused a fuel spill and closed a portion of Highway 16 in Yellowhead County Tuesday evening.

The semis – one, a fracking truck, the other, hauling two fuel tanks – collided in a parking lot at Niton Junction around 7 p.m.

The situation was "absolutely" potentially dangerous, the county's fire chief and general manager of protective services told CTV News Edmonton.

"The frack truck contacted the b-train that was carrying the flammable liquid gasoline. It opened up the front tank so there was live gasoline running out onto the ground," Albert Bahri said, speaking at the scene Tuesday night.

Police and emergency responders not only evacuated the immediate area, but also closed Highway 16 from Nojack to Highway 32 because of vapours travelling across the highway.

"Our crews placed absorbent and booms in and around to contain [the spill]... Then from there, a vac truck was brought in, vacuumed up the gasoline that was spilled, then we covered it in sand until the environmental companies could get here," Bahri said.

Highway 16 reopened around 11:30 p.m. but Bahri said commuters could expect some workers to be present Wednesday morning.

No one was hurt.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Galen McDougall 

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