Crane at McClugage Bridge catches fire, collapses into East Peoria side of Illinois River

 

Crane at McClugage Bridge catches fire, collapses into East Peoria side of Illinois River

A construction crane at the McClugage Bridge caught fire and collapsed into the Illinois River Tuesday afternoon, completely shutting down the bridge for about an hour.

East Peoria Fire Chief Bobby Zimmerman said the crane, which sits on a barge, was unoccupied and no one was hurt in the fire. The crane collapsed soon after the fire began.

"The life safety hazard was minimal, and it was just the fire we needed to control," Zimmerman said.

It was still being decided whether another crane would be needed to lift the collapsed crane out of the water or if it would need to be cut up and then removed from the Illinois River. The McClugage bridge itself was not impacted by the fire, Zimmerman said.

A solution for how to reopen barge traffic through that part of the river is still being worked out. Investigators do not know yet what caused the fire, Zimmerman said.

A statement from Johnson Bros. Corporation, the construction company handling the work, said they are actively working with authorities to determine the cause of the fire.

The Illinois Department of Transportation said it was too early to know on Tuesday how the fire will impact the cost and timeline of the McClugage Bridge project.

The fire was put out by both the East Peoria Fire Department, who utilized fire engines stationed on the bridge to target the fire, and the Peoria Fire Department who provided a fire boat to combat the blaze.