A tanker truck has caught fire in DeSoto at the intersection of S Cockrell Hill and W Parkerville Road.
Residents in the area were evacuated after a 5,000-gallon tanker truck carrying diesel fuel caught fire this afternoon according to DeSoto Fire Chief Bryan Southard.
The City of DeSoto issued an evacuation notice for residents within the following area: from W Parkerville Rd to Summerside Dr to the north, Richard Pittman Dr to the south, Elerson Rd to the east, and Keswick Dr to the west.
DeSoto Police confirmed that the female truck driver was not injured in the fire.
She told fire officials that she noticed smoke coming out of the engine while sitting at a red light.
The fire moved from the engine to the tank.
“Right now we pretty much have everything under control due to the fuel that was on fire, we pretty much had to let it burn,” said Southard.
“We had to protect everything around so we had two neighborhoods on either side of this intersection and had to evacuate those neighborhoods and then we had to pretty much let the fire burnout protecting everything around it as best we could from the radiant heat of the fire,” Southern added.
Fire trucks from Duncanville, Cedar Hill and Dallas fire departments were called in to help battle the blaze.
Emergency services are still on the scene working to help ensure public safety.
Nearby residents that have been evacuated will be allowed back in the area once the DeSoto Fire Department deems it is safe to return to their homes.
Residents had been advised to leave the area promptly and follow any instructions from emergency personnel.
Chief Southard expects that it will take the rest of the day to clean up.
Updates will be provided as more information becomes available.