RANKIN, Texas — In Rankin on July 19 around 7:45 p.m., a truck tractor semi-trailer, carrying radioactive materials that pose as a serious health threat, caught on fire.
The incident happened along SH 329.
Members of the Texas Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) Radiation/Nuclear Detection Unit, along with the Upton County Sheriff’s Office, TxDOT and other local agencies, responded to the scene.
The radioactive material in the semi-trailer contained Cesium-137.
At that time, the road was immediately closed by local authorities and DPS personnel began taking action to ensure the public was safe.
"DPS Corporal Scott Keane screened the area for radiation using his vehicle’s radiation detection system and found the area was clear," DPS said in a press release. "Corporal Keane and Corporal Dustin Henderson then conducted radiation contamination surveys on each of the first responders using their handheld radiation survey equipment."
DPS also stated in the press release that, "Once Corporals Keane and Henderson had secured the burned truck tractor semi-trailer and determined the area was safe, the company was allowed to safely transport the UN3332 back to its facility."
