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Lumber truck finds its tipping point on White Rock’s Maple Street

Equipment failure blamed for morning mishap

An equipment failure that caused a truck unloading lumber to tip brought White Rock fire crews to the 900-block of Maple Street Thursday morning.

Firefighters were alerted to the incident shortly before 9:30 a.m.

Initially reported as a construction truck leaking fuel, deputy fire Chief Bob Schlase said the crew soon realized equipment supporting the truck during delivery had broken.

The truck tipped to a significant degree, until it was stopped by the boom that was being used to unload the lumber.

Firefighter Scott Booth said it’s fortunate no one was standing next to the truck when the equipment failed, as lumber that was still on the truck bed tumbled off when it tipped.

Fuel that spilled out of the truck’s tank was contained “right away,” Booth added. None of the liquid made it into nearby drains, he said.

“We got it stopped before it did,” Booth said.

A heavy-duty mechanic and two tow trucks were at the scene. Firefighters were “standing by to make sure that fuel is taken care of that was leaking and also in case of safety concerns as they get ready here to right the truck,” Schlase said.

Avoiding power lines above the boom was a key concern, he said.



Tracy Holmes

About the Author: Tracy Holmes

Tracy Holmes has been a reporter with Peace Arch News since 1997.
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