A semitrailer transporting Frank’s RedHot sauce started leaking along the highway in Delaware County, Ohio.
The Berkshire, Sunbury, Trenton & Galena Fire District was dispatched following reports of a big rig leaking a strange substance on major thoroughfare Interstate 71.
When they followed the trail of the sticky substance to the Pilot truck stop near the U.S. 36 and State Route 37 exit, they realised that the mystery fluid was leaking from a trailer packed with 40,000 lbs of Frank’s RedHot sauce.
The clean-up efforts were not straightforward
Fire crews elected not to wash off the substance from the roads because of its acidity. If it were to be washed into the waterways, it could have become an environmental crisis.
Instead, the authorities notified the Environmental Protection Agency based in Ohio, who issued hazmat materials and containment pools to prevent the hot sauce from entering any drains.
A semi-truck leaked Frank’s RedHot hot sauce all over Interstate 71, prompting a spicy response from clean-up crews. pic.twitter.com/NX0wfJDluQ
— NTD News (@NTDNews) July 4, 2026
Fire Chief Chris Kovach spoke about the various cleanup efforts, by the authorities, companies and individuals affected. “The trucking company responsible for the leak will have to arrange for a cleanup company to take care of the spill,” he said.
“A lot of people were shocked, and obviously they see a humorous side of it, but on the flip side of that is, there are some cars, a lot of vehicles that may have potentially been damaged,” said the Fire Chief. “My understanding is this is very hard to clean off.”
This was echoed by a woman who, on the What’s Up in Delaware, OH Facebook page, said that even after $30 worth of car washes, the sticky red sauce was stuck to her vehicle.
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For similar stories, check out our coverage of the “presidential-level” escort of KitKat bars following the 12-ton chocolate heist, or the 24 million bees that escaped after the truck carrying hives flipped over.
