A crane operator escaped injury at a Camden County port Tuesday morning after the engine compartment caught fire while unloading cargo from a ship, a spokesperson for Holt Logistics said Tuesday afternoon.
“When the alarm sounded two maintenance workers responded to try and extinguish the fire,” spokesperson for Holt Logistics, Kevin Feeley said Tuesday afternoon. “There was an operator at the top of the crane who had to run down the stairs to safety when the fire couldn’t immediately be put out.”
Feeley said the crane had been unloading steel from a ship when it caught fire. There were no initial reports of damage to the ship, according to Feeley. He said that any hazardous chemical that spilled during the incident initially appeared to be minimal.
Feeley said the fire on the diesel-fueled crane was restricted to the engine compartment. The cause of the fire was unknown Tuesday afternoon, but Feeley said that local police and fire as well as Camden County emergency services and officials from the Department of Environmental Protection and Coast Guard were at the scene.
The port’s bulkhead runs underneath the Walt Whitman Bridge and is operated by Holt Logistics. The fire first started at about 9:20 a.m. close to the bridge and sent large plumes of dark smoke billowing up and over traffic.
The Delaware River Port Authority alerted motorists that traffic was slowed over the bridge Tuesday morning.
Officials from the Gloucester City Police Department did not immediately return a request for comment.
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Matthew Enuco may be reached at Menuco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Matt on X.
