Camper Fire Shuts Down Ambassador Bridge [VIDEO]
DETROIT (WWJ) - The Ambassador Bridge connecting Windsor and Detroit was closed in both directions for about three hours Tuesday after firefighters extinguished a blaze that engulfed a pickup truck and camper.
Thick black smoke could be seen for miles after the fire sparked at around 12:15 p.m. It was out by 1:15 p.m, and the bridge was back open shortly after 3 p.m.
There was no accident, according to Ambassador Bridge officials, who said Detroit Fire Department crews responded "quickly" to the scene. The bridge does have a continuous water supply available to the fire department, and that's what firefighters plugged into in this case.
Officials said the fire chief called for a hazardous materials crew after about 100 gallons of diesel fuel leaked onto the bridge.
No injuries have been reported.
It's still unclear how the fire started.
Traffic was at a standstill on the bridge 30 minutes after the fire was reported. Backups stretched back onto I-75 in Detroit and into Windsor.
"We appreciate the swift action of the Detroit Fire Dept. and the accommodation by border agencies to restore border traffic after an emergency event today," said Mickey Blashfield, spokesman for the Ambassador Bridge, in a statement. "Our new enhancement span would have accommodated the free flow of traffic without delay today, were it not for bureaucratic red-tape."
