August 25, 2026.
SAXON, Wisconsin. — An unoccupied semi-truck rolled into an open excavation Tuesday morning and struck an Enbridge pipeline in northern Wisconsin, releasing natural gas liquids and prompting the precautionary evacuation of nearby properties, according to Enbridge, the Iron County Sheriff’s Office and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
The incident occurred at approximately 10 a.m. today near Sitan Road in the Town of Saxon in Iron County, Wisconsin.
Enbridge said the parked, unoccupied semi-truck rolled into an excavation associated with a Line 5 valve project and struck a pipe. The impact resulted in the release of natural gas liquids, or NGLs.
The Wisconsin DNR subsequently clarified that the vehicle struck a natural gas transmission line, rather than the portion of Line 5 carrying crude oil. The material released was in gas form after leaving the pressurized pipeline. Officials were still determining the amount released Tuesday.
No injuries reported.
Nearby homes or properties were evacuated as a precaution while emergency personnel responded. Reports differed initially on the number of properties affected, with the Iron County Sheriff's Office confirming evacuations but not initially providing a specific number. Later reporting from WDIO indicated that two nearby properties were evacuated.
Enbridge isolated the affected section of pipeline after the incident, and the line was shut down to prevent additional material from being released. Local emergency responders and hazardous-material teams were dispatched to the scene.
The company also reported the incident to the National Response Center at 11:02 a.m. and the Wisconsin DNR spills hotline at 11:15 a.m., according to the DNR.
Road closed and power shut off.
Sitan Road was closed to allow emergency crews to work safely. Authorities also established a temporary no-fly zone over the area.
The sheriff's office said electrical power was shut off in the affected area because of safety concerns. Arrangements were being made to assist people affected by the temporary outage.
Environmental consulting firm Stantec was conducting air monitoring at the site, according to the DNR.
Authorities asked the public to stay away from the area and follow instructions from emergency personnel.
What was released?
Natural gas liquids are hydrocarbons that include ethane, propane, butane, isobutane and natural gasoline. They are separated from natural gas during processing and can be used as fuels or as raw materials in the manufacture of products including plastics, fertilizers and other industrial and consumer products.
Officials had not determined the quantity released as of Tuesday evening. Enbridge also had not released an estimate of the amount of material involved or the potential environmental impacts.
Connection to the Line 5 reroute.
The accident occurred as Enbridge is constructing a major reroute of Line 5 in northern Wisconsin.
Line 5 was originally built in 1953 and runs approximately 645 miles from Superior, Wisconsin, through Michigan and beneath the Straits of Mackinac before reaching Sarnia, Ontario. Enbridge says the system transports up to 540,000 barrels per day of light crude oil, light synthetic crude and natural gas liquids.
The current Wisconsin Segment Relocation Project is designed to move the pipeline off the Bad River Reservation. The approximately 41-mile reroute is being constructed south of the existing route through northern Wisconsin. Enbridge began construction of the project in February 2026 after receiving federal and state approvals.
The project has been strongly opposed by the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and environmental organizations, which have raised concerns about potential impacts to water resources, wetlands and tribal lands. Enbridge maintains that the project has undergone extensive environmental review and is necessary to provide a safer long-term route for Line 5.
Investigation continues.
Authorities have not publicly explained why the parked, unoccupied semi-truck rolled into the excavation. That question remains part of the investigation.
For now, the affected section of pipeline has been isolated, the release has been stopped, and emergency and environmental crews remain involved in the response.
The confirmed facts are that an unoccupied semi-truck rolled into an open excavation near Sitan Road, struck an Enbridge pipeline associated with the Line 5 valve project, and released natural gas liquids. No injuries have been reported. Nearby properties were evacuated as a precaution, Sitan Road was closed, power was temporarily shut off, and the affected pipeline section was isolated. The amount released and any environmental impact remain under investigation.