19.07.2016

Lucky escape from boom lift fire

Two men had to climb to safety after a welding blanket caught fire in the platform of a 135ft articulated boom lift in Boise, Idaho yesterday.

The blaze in the platform of the Genie ZX135/70 owned by H&E Equipment, was directly below the controls causing serious damage and preventing the two from using them. They climbed out onto the jib, while co-workers on the ground were able to use the lower controls to slew the boom around to a window on the sixth floor of the building.
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Co-workers on the ground were able to help save the two in the platform

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A closer look at the escape

The two men then managed to shin their way back down the jib and get past the flames to safety, The first man out used a fire extinguisher to try and stop the fire, but failed. They then continued to try and put the fire out, but failed. So those below then slewed the boom away from the building and left it to burn out.
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The two men continued to try and extinguish the flames after having climbed to safety, but failed

A spokesman for the Boise Fire service said that the two were treated for smoke inhalation and minor burns, but not seriously injured, they were taken to hospital as a precautionary measure. He continued: "They were on the lift and it was a long way for them to be able to make it over to the side of the building to jump off. Workers at ground level were able to swing the boom over so it was closer to jump from the lift to the sixth floor."