Most Southerners would agree that hot sauce can go on just about anything. Some even drizzle hot sauce on ramen, chicken wings, scrambled eggs and even popcorn.
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Apparently, highways aren't excluded from a hot sauce coating, either.
During the nationwide heat wave last week, a semi-truck carrying 40,000 pounds of Frank's RedHot sauce began leaking along Interstate 71 in northern Delaware County.
The unusual spill left a massive trail of Frank's RedHot sauce across the highway, which firefighters used to track down the hot sauce-spewing truck.
"Our crews were out on the highway trying to track it down and actually were able to follow the trail to the Pilot," Berkshire, Sunbury, Trenton and Galena Fire Chief Chris Kovach told The Columbus Dispatch.
After discovering that the substance was Frank's RedHot sauce, fire crews were forced to call in the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, according to local reports.
Cleanup Crew Needed to Clear Hot Sauce Spill on Highway
Due to the hot sauce's acidity, flushing it into waterways could pose environmental risks. Instead, crews had to use hazmat materials to prevent it from spilling into drains.
Kovach told the outlet that the trucking company will have to hire a professional cleanup crew to remove the spill.
The BTSG Fire District recalled the rare incident on Facebook.
"A lot of people were shocked, and obviously they see a humorous side of it. On the flip side of that is, there are some cars, a lot of vehicles that may have potentially been damaged," Kovach said. "My understanding is this is very hard to clean off."
The fire company added that the incident is a reminder to expect the unexpected.
"This is one of those careers where you never know what you're going to encounter. This evening, crews were called out to 71 for a semi leaking 'something'. Ultimately, the semi got off the highway and to one of the truck stops.
"The mystery fluid turned out to be a trailer full of 40,000 lbs. of Frank's Red Hot leaking!"
Hopefully, a couple of car washes can do the trick for drivers impacted by the hot sauce spill.
