A fire that engulfed part of Highway 17 in Laurentian Valley on Wednesday evening has been extinguished.
Laurentian Valley Fire Chief Tim Sutcliffe says a tanker belonging to the Department of National Defence was carrying jet fuel through the community when the fire started near White Water Road.
The driver and firefighter on scene attempted to put the flame out with extinguishers before it could get out of control, but the fire would spread into the nearby bushes, and a combined effort by local firefighters and Garrison Petawawa continued into the early hours on Thursday.
Sutcliffe noted that his fire crews were expected to remain on the scene to assist the OPP and the Department of National Defence in making the highway safe enough to reopen.
As of 2:00 p.m., the eastbound lane of Highway 17 is now open, but the westbound lane and shoulder are still closed.
Stay with us for more updates.
(written by Kasey Egan)
