Bensalem tower fire: Crews dismantle cell tower that caught fire in Pa.
Bensalem tower fire: Officials had said the tower was leaning, which prompted the evacuation of nearby homes. But the fire was put out a short time later and there were no reports of injuries.
A cellphone tower burns at the Bensalem Municipal complex Friday, in Bensalem, Pa. A 75-foot-tall cellphone tower caught fire on Friday while work was being done on it and was leaning, prompting the evacuations of nearby homes.
Jo Ciavaglia/Bucks County Courier Times/AP
BENSALEM, Pa.
A 75-foot-tall cellphone tower that caught fire in suburban Philadelphia last week has been safely taken down.
The tower caught fire around 11:30 Friday morning while work was being done on it. Bensalem Township Public Safety Director Fred Harran says welders initially tried to put the fire out themselves, but the flames spread and they had to rappel down.
Officials had said the tower was leaning, which prompted the evacuation of nearby homes. But the fire was put out a short time later and there were no reports of injuries.
WPVI-TV reports a large crane took down the structure around 9:30 p.m. Friday. Officials had set up a 300-foot safety perimeter around the tower because of fears it might collapse.