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N.J. firefighters battle 2-alarm crane fire under bridge

A crane near a cargo ship burned underneath the Walt Whitman Bridge

By David Matthews
New York Daily News

GLOUCESTER CITY, N.J. — A large crane caught fire Tuesday near the Walt Whitman Bridge in Gloucester City, New Jersey.

The blaze occurred around 9:30 a.m. near a container ship at the Gloucester City Terminal. However, it did not spread beyond the waterfront crane to endanger any other structures.

Officials said Tuesday morning it appeared the fire, which sent a large smoke plume into the sky, was caused by an electrical problem while the crane was being used to unload steel from a ship, the Pacific Harmony. However, the cause of the fire was still under investigation later Tuesday. No injuries were reported.

Nearby traffic on the bridge was halted briefly by the low visibility conditions caused by the smoke, according to the Delaware River Port Authority. Speeds were reduced but normal traffic patterns resumed and all lanes on the bridge reopened shortly after 10 a.m.

Firefighters from multiple departments responded and were able to get the fire under control around 11:30 a.m. with the smoke clearing out of the area in the early afternoon.

“I was so happy and relieved to get over the bridge and get off because I didn’t know what was going on,” motorist Tyrone Maddred told KYW Newsradio. “It was scary.”

The Walt Whitman Bridge connects Philadelphia and Camden County, N.J.

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