SEATTLE — A lift operator was rescued after hours of being stuck on the machine after accidentally hitting a nearby power line in the 1200 block of Queen Anne Ave. N in Seattle around 9 a.m. Wednesday, according to the Seattle Fire Department (SFD).
Fire authorities said the operator struck the power line, causing a fire on and around the lift. Flames then spread to a natural gas line on the sidewalk below the lift along West Highland Dr., SFD said.
Fire crews sprayed water and a white foam throughout the block to prevent the natural gas fire from spreading further. SFD evacuated one adjacent apartment complex after crews began receiving readings of natural gas in the building, according to David Cuerpo with SFD.
The lift operator was reportedly stuck for roughly two hours, while firefighters waited for Seattle City Light crews to first deenergize the impacted power line.
“Once the energy lines were deenergized, and it was safe for us to operate,” Cuerpo explained, “we used an aerial ladder to go up to where that lift operator was, and we safely escorted him down that ladder.”
The operator was uninjured, Cuerpo added. It was a few more hours after the operator was rescued before crews were able to fully extinguish the fire.
Cuerpo said firefighters had to wait for Puget Sound Energy (PSE) to shut down and secure the natural gas line before they could finish fighting flames. PSE had to excavate on Queen Anne Ave. N and Highland Dr. to access the natural gas line, which left behind holes in the roadway that may continue impacting traffic throughout the day on Wednesday, Cuerpo explained.
SFD reported that the natural gas line was secured and the fire had been extinguished at 1:30 p.m. The evacuation was lifted, and residents were able to reoccupy the apartment building, SFD confirmed to KOMO News at 3:30 p.m.
A resident of another nearby apartment building told KOMO News she was also told to evacuate around 11 a.m. by a firefighter. Lorena Vera shared a cellphone video that showed the chaotic scene earlier in the day.
“It [the fire] didn’t stop,” Vera said. “As soon as it would look like it was down, it would just come up again. So, it was scary to see.”
A PSE spokesperson said gas was restored to all but one of the apartment buildings in the area: “Crews continue to survey the area this afternoon and will work overnight and into tomorrow morning to restore gas to the impacted buildings.”