Ohio crews clean up 40,000 pounds of Frank’s RedHot spill

Firefighters in central Ohio answered a call for a semitrailer “leaking something” on Interstate 71 in Delaware County and found a mess that looked far more dangerous than it turned out to be: about 40,000 pounds of Frank’s RedHot pouring from the back of the trailer and across a nearby truck stop.

Crews with the Berkshire, Sunbury, Trenton & Galena Fire Protection District pulled the driver off the highway and treated the spill as a possible hazardous-materials incident. When the contents of a roadside leak are unknown, responders have to assume the worst first, because a fuel spill, chemical release or corrosive runoff can move fast into storm drains and waterways.

Instead of washing the sauce away, firefighters used containment pools and other hazmat materials to keep it from reaching drains. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency was notified as well; the red sauce is acidic and raised possible environmental concerns. The cleanup became the trucking company’s responsibility.

Frank’s RedHot is produced by McCormick and has built its identity around Buffalo wings, with the company saying Frank’s RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce was the secret ingredient in the first Buffalo wings recipe. Frank’s RedHot is the world’s No. 1 hot sauce brand, McCormick says.

The Berkshire, Sunbury, Trenton & Galena district serves northern Delaware County, including Berkshire, Sunbury, Trenton and Galena, with emergency response, fire prevention, public safety education and community preparedness.