Screen shot.A maintenance building at Lindy Paving in Big Beaver, Penn., caught fire at approximately 5 a.m. and burned for several hours on Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019, KDKA 2 CBS Pittsburgh reports. A driver on the nearby turnpike saw the flames and called 911. Dozens of fire crews responded to deal with the fire and thick smoke in the extremely cold temperatures.
“When we got on scene, it was a gas-fed fire, and the building was probably 75 percent involved at that time,” said Chief Adam Crepp, Big Beaver Fire Department, according to the news agency. “The scope of the building is, there’s black top equipment inside. I believe a tri-axle, a couple graters, all heavy equipment.”
A ruptured gas line caused the flames to shoot out of the building. Even though a member of the maintenance crew from the paving company was able to turn the gas off after 30 minutes, the fire continued to burn out of control for several hours. The flames and black smoke could be seen for miles.
No one was injured in the fire, but the frigid temperatures made fighting the fire difficult. A tent with heaters, snacks, and water provided a place for firefighters to warm up.
“Honestly, you got more of a chance of somebody getting hurt falling on the ice than you do actually fighting the fire,” Chief Crepp told the news agency.
