Massive fire at Cincinnati playground shuts down Daniel Carter Beard Bridge; no injuries
Firefighters in Ohio responded to a fire early Friday morning that resulted in closures on the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge, which links Cincinnati and Newport, Kentucky.
According to an initial report obtained by Paste BN, Cincinnati Fire was informed about "a vehicle fire" near the Interstate 471 bridge that crosses the Ohio River just before 3:30 a.m.
The response to the report escalated to a "full 1 alarm" when they discovered what is described as a "large outdoor fire" at a playset at Sawyer Point Park, under the bridge. The report said that 50 firefighters responded to the scene.
According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, part of Paste BN Network, Lindsay Haegele, the fire department's public information officer, said the fire did not start in a vehicle as initially reported.
"Due to the volume of the fire numerous master steams and large fire lines were deployed in a defensive posture to protect the bridge structure and extinguish the fire," the report continued.
"The fire has been contained and companies remain on the scene conducting final extinguishment, overhaul and salvage," the report continued.
Officials are working to determine cause of the fire
According to the report, the north and southbound lanes were closed due to the incident.
Cincinnati Fire Investigation is looking into the matter.
Per the Enquirer, the fire caused heavy damage to the park, and damage and soot can also be seen on the bridge. Haegele said no hazardous material was involved to the fire department's knowledge.
Videos obtained by the outlet show the massive blaze that caused the closure, impacting traffic.
Representatives of the Ohio Department of Transportation and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet told local news that inspectors and engineers were also on the scene.
“They will inspect the bridge, looking through to determine if it’s safe to allow traffic to go back on the bridge. We don’t have a timeline yet on when that’s going to take place,” Kentucky Transportation Cabinet spokesperson Jake Ryle said to Fox 19.
Officials have said there have been no reports of civilian or firefighter injuries so far.
Contributing: Cameron Knight, Cincinnati Enquirer
Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for Paste BN. You can reach her at tardrey@gannett.com