A boom lift working in the Queen Anne area of Seattle, Washington, came too close to an overhead power line yesterday, causing the machine to catch fire.
Thankfully, the man in the platform was not hurt, apart from his pride perhaps, but the contact caused the machine to catch fire, exacerbated by a fuel leak. Some reports suggested that the incident was caused by a car crashing into the lift, although it is hard to see how that could have been, given that it was working on the sidewalk, protected by trees and a line of parked cars. Another report suggests he drove into a power pole.
Firefighters on the scene – courtesy Seattle Fire Department
The lift, an 85ft Genie S85XC from the United Rentals fleet, appears to have escaped lightly compared to similar incidents we have seen before. It looks as though it was mainly the fuel that was burning, along with an underground gas leak.
We should keep our minds open to the possibility that the lift, cracked or damaged the gas line, and something then caused a spark that ignited it all, rather than a straightforward power line contact incident?
The machine itself was not badly burnt
Firefighters used water and foam to extinguish the flames using a truck mount/bucket truck, Seattle City Light shut off electricity and Puget Sound Energy secured the natural gas line allowing the fire crew to use a fire ladder to bring the man down.
The Seattle Fire Department issued an incident statement, which we carry in full below. In the meantime, it looks as though this contractor/operator committed two basic sins: 1. Working too close to power lines 2. Not checking what was below ground before taking this 18 tonne, four wheel lift onto the pavement/sidewalk. At least he was harnessed in.
IPAF recommends keeping a minimum distance of 30ft/9m from a live power line, which is tough to do in areas that are covered with them. But it published an excellent guide on the subject, which is free for anyone to download www.ipaf.org/en-gb/resource-library/safe-use-mewps-vicinity-power-lines
The video below gives a pretty good overview of the incident and rescue.
Seattle Fire Department incident statement
At 9 a.m. the Seattle Fire Department’s Fire Alarm Center received 911 calls reporting an aerial lift platform made contact with power lines, resulting in a fire in the 1200 block of Queen Anne Ave. N. When firefighters arrived on scene, they reported a fire involving the base of the aerial lift vehicle that extended to a natural gas line directly underground. The Energy Response team was dispatched for their expertise in working around high-voltage power lines. Rescue 1 was requested to assist in rescuing the lift operator, and the HazMat team responded with their additional air monitoring equipment. 59 firefighters and support staff responded to the incident.
Firefighters put a mixture of water and foam on the fire to prevent it from spreading beyond the aerial lift vehicle. The foam is biodegradable and will dissolve in a few hours. Around 11 a.m. Seattle City Light shut off electricity to the power lines near the aerial lift in order to ensure our firefighters can work safely to rescue the operator. Crews climbed up Ladder 10’s aerial to rescue the lift operator. Once on the ground, the operator was evaluated and reported no injuries. Then Puget Sound Energy worked to secure the natural gas lines in the impacted area. HazMat crews found natural gas inside the adjacent residential building and evacuated all residents as a safety precaution.
By 1:30 p.m., Puget Sound Energy secured the natural gas line, separating fuel from the fire. This enabled our crews to finally extinguish the fire. No injuries were reported, and all evacuated residents are able to return to their homes.
Seattle City Light and Puget Sound Energy are working on restoring electricity and natural gas.
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