Two Hurt During Fire at Keizer Construction Site

The explosion happened at a construction site at the location of the new Keizer Station shopping center near the intersection of Chemawa Rd. NE and the I-5 freeway.

Flames consume a 500k construction tiller Photos courtesy: Jim Trett/Keizer Fire

(KEIZER, Ore.) - An explosion at a construction site in Keizer led to injuries and the total loss of construction equipment valued at half a million dollars.

Flames were reported to be leaping 20 feet into the air, according to Keizer Fire Spokesman Jim Trett.

"Fire crews found one construction worker on the ground a short distance away from the piece of equipment. They also determined that a 6 inch gas line had in fact been punctured and called NW Natural to respond to cut off the gas supply to the site."

The explosion happened at a construction site at the location of the new Keizer Station shopping center near the intersection of Chemawa Rd. NE and the I-5 freeway.

Trett says the call came in shortly after 2:00 PM on Thursday.

"The caller said that they thought the equipment had hit a gas line. The caller to the 9-1-1 Center also reported that two people at the location might have received burns. While still several blocks away firefighters reported seeing smoke and a second alarm assignment was requested."

The first unit arrived on the scene and reported that a piece of construction equipment at the site was fully involved in fire.

Trett says that because of the natural gas feeding the fire, firefighters could only cool a second piece of equipment that was parked very close to the piece of equipment involved in the fire.

After the gas supply was shut off, firefighters then attacked the fire with foam.

Keizer Fire District Paramedics began treating the operator of the equipment who reportedly had to dive through the window of the machine to escape the flames.

"While trying to secure the patient to a backboard to remove him from the area, another explosion occurred when one of the tires on the equipment exploded. Paramedics immediately removed him from the site and transported him to Salem Hospital."

According to Trett, a second worker at the site then came forward and indicated he also had been hurt in the incident. The second worker also was treated on the scene and transported to the hospital.

The piece of equipment was identified as Wirt Gen 2500S Tiller. The tiller is said to be used to mix powdered cement and dirt to stabilize the ground at construction sites.

The one year old piece of equipment was valued at $500,000 and was a total loss. The Tiller is owned by Kerr Contractors, the general contractor of the Keizer Station project, and was being operated by West Coast Road Recycling LLC.

A total of 3 engines, 4 ambulances, one rescue unit and 4 other pieces of utility equipment responded to the incident.

Trett says the fire was declared under control at 3:31 PM. Equipment and firefighters from Marion County Fire District #1 responded to assist with the situation.

Fire officials also noted that about twenty minutes into the fire incident a two car automobile crash at Chemawa Rd. and the I-5 freeway. Other units were dispatched to that scene. No injuries were reported in the accident.

The incident remains under investigation.