UPDATE 6:30 p.m. Tuesday: Lt. Stew Anderson with Natrona County Emergency Management says Yellowstone Highway has been reopened, but First Street remains closed.

UPDATE 3:30 p.m. Tuesday: Lt. Stew Anderson says the East First Street and East Yellowstone Highway intersection will likely remain closed for the next few hours as a HAZMAT crew hired by the trucking company cleans the spill.

Anderson says the tanker has been removed from the scene.

ORIGINAL STORY: Authorities have closed an intersection near downtown Casper after gallons of diesel fuel spilled from a tanker.

Lt. Stew Anderson with Natrona County Emergency Management says the spill happened Tuesday afternoon at the intersection of East First Street and East Yellowstone Highway.

“The truck was stopped at the light going eastbound on First at Yellowstone, when the light turned it started up and the trailer became unhinged,” Anderson said. "When it did that, the front of the tank started leaking diesel fuel.”

Anderson says the intersection will remain closed as crews drain the tanker of its remaining fuel. After crews empty and move the tanker, Anderson says cleanup crews will apply a fuel absorbent to the street surface.

Anderson says, though some fuel did reach the gutters, no fuel emptied into the storm drains or water system.

Anderson says motorists can expect delays in the area for the next few hours.

Kevin Koile contributed to this story.

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