Homeowner Bart Henderson headed back to Haines from Mexico after a fuel-feed line from a heating oil tank to a furnace burst and potentially leaked up to 100 gallons of fuel this weekend at his home on Young Road.

The smell of diesel fuel alerted neighbors who contacted the borough and Delta Western on Sunday, Haines Fire Chief Brian Clay said. Delta Western staff worked to clean and mitigate the spill that day, Clay said.

The leak went unreported to DEC until Monday, after the CVN asked for details about the leak.

“(Heating oil spills are) one of our most prevalent issues,” said Alaska Department of Conservation’s Southeast Unit Supervisor David Pikul. “Unfortunately a lot of them go unreported.”

People are required to report any amount of hazardous material leaked into water or ground water to DEC immediately, according to state regulations. On land, anything over 55 gallons is required to be reported and anything in excess of 10 gallons is required to be reported within 48 hours.

“You should report it as soon as you see it,” Pikul said.

Pikul said the burst at Henderson’s home was weather related.

“We’ve got a pretty good idea that the cause of the leak was from the hard freeze and then the warm weather,” Pikul said. “There was some frost heaving of the ground and it compromised the feed line.”

Henderson’s 200-gallon tank was filled to capacity about 30 days ago, Pikul said.

“There was an inch of fuel left in the tank,” Pikul said.

Pikul said an average furnace burns three gallons a day and older heaters can burn five gallons a day.

“It really depends on the consumption rate,” Pikul said. “The only thing we know is they have a 200-gallon delivery.”

Pikul commended Delta Western for their efforts to clean the spill. The company laid absorbent materials and set up a rudimentary water filtration system to capture drainage from the site.

He said the spill requires an environmental consultant to further analyze the site and collect more data.

“Our goal along with the responsible party is to get it cleaned and closed,” Pikul said. “As we get more information we’ll outline what we think is the best path forward and that means gathering data.”

Henderson was in Mexico when he heard about the leak. He cut his trip short and made arrangements to come back to Haines this week to address the issue.

“I figure I need to check on the house and make sure I can arrange for heat,” Henderson said. “It’s funny I built the house over 25 years ago and I never had a problem with it so it must be an extreme weather pattern going on.”

There are a number of steps DEC advises homeowners to take who heat their home with heat oil.

Owners should inspect their tank for water. Water can corrode a tank from the inside or cause the fuel filter to crack during cold weather. People should also check fuel lines and connection points for damage or leaks. The department advises people to replace their tanks if they see rust or damp areas on the tank.