Crane fire stalls Highway 3 traffic for hours Tuesday
April 8, 2009 · 12:52 PM
Traffic was shut down for hours Tuesday afternoon on northbound Highway 3 near the Chico Way exit in Bremerton after a crane burst into flames around 4:30 p.m.
Central Kitsap Fire & Rescue (CKFR) crews and Navy Region NW Fire and EMS firefighters responded to multiple calls about the incident and when they arrived on scene, the large crane was completely engulfed in flames, according to CKFR.
Fourteen firefighters battled the blaze with more than 5,000 gallons of water and a specialized fire extinguishing agent called F-500.
Multiple propane tanks exploding on the crane, contributing to the massive fire.
The crane driver said he heard a strange noise just before seeing smoke in his rearview mirrors, according to CKFR. He immediately pulled over and called 911.
Once the fire was knocked down, firefighters continued cooling the apparatus before turning the scene over to Washington State Patrol around 7:30 p.m.
Traffic was impacted for more than three hours. No one was injured in the blaze.
The Kitsap County Fire Marshal's Office indicated a broken drive line hit the charged hydraulic lines underneath the rig, causing it to ignite, according to CKFR.
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