Electrical fire at top of construction crane in Coquitlam sends worker to hospital

An electrical fire in an operator’s cabin at the top of a construction crane in Coquitlam sent a worker to hospital Wednesday.

RCMP say they were called to Westview Street and Dansey Avenue around 4:30 p.m.

Fire crews managed to extinguish the blaze in the cabin, which was roughly 150 feet in the air, after using a large aerial ladder.

The worker was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries, RCMP said, but the Coquitlam Fire battalion chief said the worker suffered serious burns.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

It’s not yet known how damaged the crane was, or if it will have to be taken down and replaced.

WorkSafeBC has been notified, officials said, but the agency has not yet commented on the incident.

Traffic was shut down on Westview Street around the scene for several hours, but RCMP said it has since reopened.

Crews are building a 35-storey condo tower at the site.

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