STEVENSVILLE, Md. (AP) - Authorities say a power generator under the deck of Chesapeake Bay Bridge's westbound span sparked a fire that closed the bridge, backing up traffic for miles.
Lt. Shannon Callahan, Queen Anne's County Department of Emergency Services dispatch supervisor, says the generator was in a construction zone in the bridge's under-structure when the fire started Sunday evening.
Maryland Transportation Authority police Sgt. Jonathan Green says the fire closed the span for about two hours and vehicles stopped on the bridge were backed off. A structural engineer later examined the bridge and cleared it for traffic. A NASCAR race in Delaware and a wine festival in Ocean City likely contributed to the backup.
Green says a construction crew was working earlier in the day, but wasn't present when the fire started.
