SOMERSET COUNTY, Pa (WJAC) — New details are being unveiled about the dramatic fire inside the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel in Somerset County as the Pennsylvania Turnpike says it is making some changes after more than 100 people had to be evacuated.
Emergency officials say the fire started just after 8 p.m. on June 4th when a pickup truck towing a trailer reportedly caught fire inside the westbound tunnel.
The Turnpike says about 150 people were safely evacuated as heavy smoke, trapped vehicles and a medical emergency complicated the response.
The Turnpike’s review found some first responders could not reach each other by radio inside the tunnel.
Officials say a transformer issue also limited ventilation during the heavy smoke.
According to the Turnpike, the emergency showed a need for better plans to evacuate people, especially those with limited mobility, and to handle traffic, customer relocation and reopening during a long closure.
Some of the actions the Turnpike Commission says it is taking include:
Providing additional radios to responding agencies and improving radio coverage inside the tunnel.A portable ventilation fan is now available for tunnel emergencies.Purchasing a spare transformer and expects to complete repairs to the existing one by the end of the year.Officials have also added wheelchairs, foldable steps with railings and identified safety and waiting areas for evacuations.
The review also calls for more hands-on training and clearer incident-command procedures for the agencies that respond to tunnel emergencies.