PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Investigators are trying to pinpoint what caused a smoky crane fire at the Gloucester City cargo port near the Walt Whitman Bridge, which temporarily halted bridge traffic Tuesday morning.
The crane caught fire before 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Holt Logistics terminal on King Street, near the south side of the bridge. Officials said the crane was being used to unload a container ship.
Fire crews quickly got the blaze under control.
The fire sent thick black smoke toward the Walt Whitman Bridge, as many people, like Tyrone Maddred, were driving over.
“I was so happy and relieved to get over the bridge and get off because I didn’t know what was going on,” he said. “It was scary.”
Traffic on the bridge was briefly stopped as fire crews from neighboring towns responded and poured water on the crane, extinguishing the fire and preventing any spread to the cargo ship.
There was no structural threat to the Walt Whitman and no reported injuries, officials added.
They are now investigating if hazardous materials spread from the fire. Gloucester City Police Lt. Jason Flood said crews were concerned about diesel fuel on the crane.
“There’s going to be hazardous material personnel on scene, dealing with that and mitigating any kind of activity that they have to mitigate,” he said.